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The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) is launching a ‘Prescribing development programme’ to help pharmacists strengthen and expand their prescribing skills.
The programme is due to start on 23 June 2025 and will be available to RPS members, allowing them to access flexible, bite-sized learning formats, such as podcasts, blogs, webinars and e-learning via RPS Learn.
Members can also build a personalised prescribing portfolio and reflect on their development using the ‘RPS Competency Framework for Prescribers‘.
Members can sign up now for the free programme ahead of the launch.
The ‘Prescribing development programme’ has been developed ahead of NHS targets for every newly qualified pharmacist to be independent prescribers by 2026.
It is aimed at recently qualified prescribers, experienced pharmacists who want to train as prescribers and to qualified prescribers who are returning after a break or who want to expand their scope of practice.
The programme will cover six themes, and the RPS said that participants will receive “exclusive learning content, including podcasts, blogs and webinars on essential prescribing topics”.
Helen Chang, associate director for education at the RPS, said that the programme “is about giving pharmacists the confidence and tools they need to thrive as prescribers”.
“With independent prescribing becoming a central part of pharmacy practice, it’s crucial that pharmacists feel supported every step of the way.
“Whether you’re just starting or looking to build on your existing experience, this new training programme offers tailored, ongoing development to help you grow professionally and deliver safe, person-centred care.”
From September 2026, all pharmacists will be independent prescribers at the point of registration. In January 2025, researchers from the University of Nottingham — including Bruce Warner, former deputy chief pharmaceutical officer for England, and Claire Anderson, president of the RPS — said that newly qualified prescribers “need to start prescribing immediately after qualifying” to build confidence and develop their competence.
Responding to The Pharmaceutical Journal’s 2024 Salary and Job Satisfaction Survey, one-third of community pharmacy prescribers said they used their prescribing qualification on a daily basis.
That figure rose slightly for hospital pharmacists, at 42%, but was highest among GP/primary care network pharmacists, with 76% reporting that they prescribed daily.
The majority of those in each sector who did not prescribe as often as they would like cited a lack of prescribing opportunity in their current role as the main reason.
Other reasons given included “lack of confidence” and “lack of funding”: the latter, particularly, in community pharmacy.
According to General Pharmaceutical Council data, as of March 2025, there were 21,084 independent prescribers on its register — a 25% increase compared with March 2024, when the figure totalled 17,417.
