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Safe and Effective Prescribing for Healthcare Professionals

Safe, Ethical, and Effective Prescribing in Practice

  • About 2 hours estimated learning time
  • 7 sections, 17 lessons
  • Checkpoints and a 15-question final assessment
  • Online, self-paced, any device

About this course

This course helps healthcare professionals understand their duty to prescribe safely, ethically and effectively. It covers prescribing responsibilities, avoiding common errors, refraining from self-prescribing or prescribing for family and friends, and following the standards set by the UK regulators. The focus throughout is on person-centred care, accountability and handling fitness to practise concerns.

Prescribing in the UK is no longer the preserve of doctors and dentists. Nurses, midwives, pharmacists, paramedics, physiotherapists, podiatrists, therapeutic radiographers, optometrists and others can qualify as prescribers, and from September 2026 newly registering pharmacists join the register as independent prescribers. Whatever their profession, every prescriber is expected to meet the same core competencies and to take full responsibility for their decisions.

Please note: this course provides general guidance on prescribing principles and professional standards. It is not a substitute for current national formularies, manufacturer information, MHRA safety communications or local clinical guidelines. Always prescribe within your competence and check the latest authoritative sources, such as the BNF and BNF for Children and your regulator's guidance, for specific drugs, doses and clinical decisions.

CPD Value and How to Record It

This course is designed to provide approximately 2 hours of learning, including reading, the reflection points, the reflective account and the assessment. In the UK, CPD is generally recorded as the time actually spent learning, so you should record the time you genuinely spend, which may be more or less than the estimate.

How the course fits your revalidation or CPD requirements depends on your regulator. For example, the NMC asks nurses, midwives and nursing associates to record 35 hours of CPD over three years, of which at least 20 must be participatory; self-directed online learning such as this course usually counts as individual learning unless you complete it with others. The GMC expects doctors to reflect on CPD for appraisal and revalidation rather than setting a fixed number of hours. The HCPC, GDC, GPhC, GOC, GOsC and GCC each set their own CPD requirements, so check the current rules that apply to you. Always keep your certificate together with your written reflection.

What you will learn

  • Understand the responsibilities and ethical principles of safe prescribing.
  • Learn how to assess patient needs and make informed prescribing decisions.
  • Identify common prescribing errors and the strategies that prevent them.
  • Explore guidance for prescribing to vulnerable groups, including children, older adults and pregnant patients.
  • Develop cultural competence to meet diverse patient needs and improve communication.
  • Understand the ethical and regulatory considerations for controlled substances and high-risk medicines.
  • Learn how to manage complaints, inquiries and investigations linked to prescribing.
  • Create a personal development plan to identify strengths, address gaps and set goals for continuous improvement.

Who it is for

Prescribers in the UK: doctors, dentists, nurse and midwife prescribers, pharmacist prescribers, prescribing allied health professionals and optometrist prescribers, including those responding to a prescribing concern

Standards and law covered

GMC prescribing guidance; Competency Framework for all Prescribers; NMC, GPhC, HCPC, GDC and GOC expectations; controlled drugs law; MHRA safety measures; remote prescribing principles

Course content

Lessons open one after another as you work through the course. They unlock once you enrol.

1Prescribing Responsibilities and Importance of Safe Prescribing2 lessons
  • 1.1 Your Responsibilities as a Prescriber
  • 1.2 Why Safe and Ethical Prescribing Matters
  • 1.3 Summary Points and Quiz for Section 1
2Ensuring Ethics in Prescribing3 lessons
  • 2.1 The Core Principles of Ethical Prescribing
  • 2.2 Regulatory Expectations: Prescribing Guidelines from Regulatory Bodies
  • 2.3 What Happens When Standards Are Not Followed
  • 2.4 Summary Points and Quiz for Section 2
3Safe Prescribing Practices2 lessons
  • 3.1 Practical Steps for Safe, Effective Prescribing
  • 3.2 Self-Prescribing and Prescribing for Family or Friends
  • 3.3 Key Points and Knowledge Check: Section 3
4Managing Prescribing Errors and Accountability2 lessons
  • 4.1 Frequent Prescribing Errors and Their Prevention
  • 4.2 Responsibility and Accountability for Errors
  • 4.3 Summary Points and Quiz for Section 4
5Prescribing for Special Populations3 lessons
  • 5.1 Prescribing for Vulnerable Groups
  • 5.2 Cultural Competence: Respecting Diversity in Prescribing
  • 5.3 Controlled Substances and High-Risk Medicines
  • 5.4 Summary Points and Quiz for Section 5
6Responding to Fitness to Practise Inquiries and Investigations2 lessons
  • 6.1 Understanding the Standards and the Regulators' Role
  • 6.2 What to Do If Your Prescribing Is Questioned
  • 6.3 Key Points and Knowledge Check: Section 6
7Developing a Personal Development Plan (PDP) in Prescribing2 lessons
  • 7.1 Setting Goals for Continuous Improvement
  • 7.2 Tracking Progress and Reflecting
  • 7.3 Summary Points and Quiz for Section 7
8Conclusions1 lesson
  • 8.1 Bringing It Together: Key Messages
Reflection and final assessment3 steps
  • Your reflective account
  • Final assessment: 15 questions, 80% to pass
  • Certificate of completion
2 hours

Estimated learning time

This covers the lessons, section checkpoints, your reflective account and the final assessment. Everyone works at a different pace, so record the time you actually spend in your CPD log. The player shows the time you have spent in the course to help you.

Your certificate of completion

When you pass the final assessment you can download a certificate showing your name, the course title, the estimated learning time, your completion date and a certificate number that anyone can check on this website. Keep it with your reflective account in your CPD records.

Questions about this course

How long does the course take?

The estimated learning time is about 2 hours, including the lessons, section checkpoints, your reflective account and the final assessment. People work at different speeds, so record the time you actually spend in your own CPD log.

How do I access the course after buying it?

Log in to your FTP Courses account and open the course from My Courses. The course runs in your web browser on a computer, tablet or phone, and your progress is saved to your account so you can stop and continue later.

How is the course assessed?

Each section ends with a short checkpoint. At the end there is a final assessment of 15 questions; you need 80% (12 correct) to pass. If you do not pass, you can review the course and try again after a short wait.

What do I receive when I finish?

You can download a certificate of completion showing your name, the course title, the estimated learning time, your completion date and a certificate number that can be checked online. You can also download your reflective account for your CPD portfolio.

Is this course linked to my regulator?

No. FTP Courses is an independent education provider and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any UK regulator. The course is CPD-aligned: it is written to help you learn and reflect against your regulator's published standards, and on completion you receive a certificate of completion stating the estimated learning time. Record the time you actually spend in your own CPD log, and decide how the course fits your CPD or any remediation plan, ideally with advice from your defence organisation, union or legal adviser.

Will completing the course guarantee a particular outcome in a complaint or investigation?

No course can guarantee an outcome. Decision-makers look at genuine insight, reflection and sustained change in your practice. The course is designed to support that learning; it does not replace it.