Responsibilities of the DPP Organisation

• Create an environment in which the DPP can facilitate learning.
• Provide the necessary resource and support for the DPP.
• Provide practice-based learning to ensure that appropriate governance structures are in place to support safe prescribing practice.
• Ensure continuity, if a DPP leaves or is absent for a significant period, agree provision of an alternative DPP to ensure IP completes.

Responsibilities of the DPP

• Attend tripartite meetings with the academic institution assigned tutor and the IP trainee.
• Support the IP trainee to plan a learning programme which meets the learning outcomes and objectives of their course, including time with other experienced prescribers of the multidisciplinary team.
• Provide opportunities for the IP trainee to observe how they conduct a consultation with patients and/or carers, and development of a subsequent management plan.
• Supervise the IP trainee to lead consultations, clinical management and prescribing options.
• Facilitate learning by encouraging critical thinking, and reflection and providing the IP trainee with constructive feedback.
• Assess and verify that, by the end of the course, the IP trainee is competent to assume the prescribing role.

Regulator Requirement

• Registered healthcare professional in Great Britain /Northern Ireland who is an independent prescriber.
• In good standing with their professional regulator (have no sanctions or conditions on their registration and no current fitness to practice issues).

Experience of the DPP

• Practices in line with the Competency Framework for All Prescribers.
• Is an active prescriber in a patient-facing role, with appropriate knowledge and experience relevant to the IP trainee’s nominated prescribing area.
• Is an active prescriber consulting with patients and making prescribing decisions based on clinical assessment with sufficient frequency to maintain competence.
• Reflects on and audits own prescribing practice to identify developmental needs.

Supervision of hours

• The DPP may NOT be required to directly supervise the full 90-hours of prescribing development time learning in practice, but MUST have a reasonable oversight, and ensure that appropriate clinical supervision is in place from an appropriate supervisor at all times, to protect patient safety.
• The DPP ensures the IP trainee is undertaking a suitable range of activities to develop and demonstrate their prescribing capability. At the end of the course the DPP will need to confirm this has been met.
• Refer to chosen academic institution for details of the number of direct hours of supervision required

• Open access to 8 online modules for any eligible professional either intending to become a DPP or for existing DPPs – HealthVLE – Sign Up
• Two fully funded Supervisor training programmes for those supervising the pharmacy workforce to ensure those involved in educational supervision, are confident to provide support and developmental aid to the pharmacy workforce – Educational Supervisor Training for the Community Pharmacy Workforce – ProPharmace
• RPS Designated Prescribing Practitioner Competency Framework – this framework will help universities running independent prescribing programmes, NHS trusts and boards with independent prescribers, trainee independent prescribers and experienced independent prescribers to understand the expectations for a DPP through standardised competency descriptors.

Single Supervisor DPP 1:1

• In practice time with single medic/pharmacist/nurse/other eligible healthcare professional.
• Supervises whole 90-hours across one or more practice settings or scope of practice.

Shared Supervision to Support DPP (sliding scale 10-90 hours) 1:2+

• In practice time with practice assessor/supervisor/medic/pharmacist/nurse/other eligible healthcare professional working with named DPP.
• Supervises training as part of 90-hours across one or more practice settings, in liaison with named DPP.

Staggered Supervision DPP 1:2+

• In practice time with single medic/pharmacist/nurse/other eligible healthcare professional – rota in across the cohort/year for each student in specific settings.
• Supervises whole 90-hours across one or more practice settings or scope of practice.

Other models: e.g. Cascade Supervision, Peer supervision, Remote/long-arm supervision

• Develop supervision journey after own IP/non-medical prescribing training, working under a DPP to develop personal confidence, competence and capacity within the system.

Long Arm Practice Supervision: https://journals.whitingbirch.net/index.php/JPTS/article/view/2007

Community Pharmacists who meet the eligibility criteria can apply to the university of their choice. Cohort start dates and mode of delivery vary, so select the university that matches your preferences. As part of the application process, all learners will need to assure their chosen university that they meet the course requirements. Pharmacists must be working in England.

Eligibility

Eligible pharmacists will also need to have (as a minimum):

• The support of an identified designated prescribing practitioner (DPP).
• An appropriate practice-based learning environment in a prescribing setting that can offer appropriate clinical support.
• Evidence that you meet the course provider eligibility criteria (applicants will be subject to their chosen university’s enrolment processes).
• Commitment to use the skill within your area of competence and expertise, for the delivery of NHS clinical services as they emerge.

GPhC Entry Requirements

The GPhC has approved changes to the requirements for entry to independent prescribing courses, including removing the requirement for two years’ practice before starting a course.

It has been replaced by the following requirement:
“applicants must… have relevant experience in a pharmacy setting and be able to recognise, understand and articulate the skills and attributes required by a prescriber. Applicants must also identify an area of clinical or therapeutic practice on which to base their learning.”

Universities providing accredited courses will need to continue to apply the previous entry requirements until they have been approved against the revised standards but can go through a GPhC approval process to put these changes in place from 1 October 2022. Applicants must therefore check with the university to which they are applying to find out when they expect to be ready to accept applicants using the new entry requirements in the revised standards.

If you would like to know more about the General Pharmaceutical Council’s eligibility criteria for entry to independent prescribing, please visit the GPhC website.

Approved suppliers list – National Provision | NHS England | Workforce, training and education (hee.nhs.uk)

• CPPE ‘Preparing to train as an independent prescriber‘ is open to pharmacists from all sectors of practice, including Community Pharmacists who are planning to commence their independent prescriber training with a Higher Education Institute (HEI). This is a fully funded course that helps pharmacists develop the skills and confidence to get ready and best prepare for independent prescriber training.
• CPPE Prescribing Gateway
• SCRIPT Safer Prescribing modules national e-learning programme; safe and effective prescribing and medicines management for anyone involved in prescribing and administration of medicines, including non-medical and independent prescribers.