Training for Designated Prescribing Practitioners (DPP) #257019

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Articulate the Role and Responsibilities of a DPP: Define the legal, professional, and ethical obligations of a DPP as distinct from a clinical supervisor.

• Design and Implement a Robust Learning Agreement: Create a comprehensive, individualised learning plan with a trainee that aligns with the prescribing curriculum and competency framework.

• Conduct Effective and Objective Assessment: Utilise a range of assessment methods (e.g., OSCEs, case-based discussions, direct observation) to evaluate a trainee’s prescribing competence against the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s (RPS) competency framework or equivalent.

• Provide High-Quality, Constructive Feedback: Master feedback models to support trainee development and manage underperformance or safety concerns.

• Ensure Patient Safety and Manage Risk: Apply clinical governance principles to the supervisory process, understanding how to manage uncertainty and escalate concerns appropriately.

• Make a Defensible Recommendation for Practice: Confidently assess a trainee’s overall readiness to qualify as an independent prescriber and complete the required documentation.

This course is mandatory for experienced independent prescribers who are designated to supervise and assess prescribing trainees.

• Experienced Independent Prescribers from any eligible profession (e.g., Nurses, Pharmacists, Physiotherapists, Paramedics) who have been selected to act as a DPP.

• Designated Medical Practitioners (DMPs) transitioning to the DPP role (where applicable).

• Clinical Supervisors who support prescribing students and require formal training in assessment.

• Leads for Non-Medical Prescribing programmes within NHS Trusts or Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

• Pre-assessment
• Live group instruction
• Use of real-world examples, case studies and exercises
• Interactive participation and discussion
• Power point presentation, LCD and flip chart
• Group activities and tests
• Each participant receives a binder containing a copy of the presentation
• slides and handouts
• Post-assessment

Day 1: The Foundation of the DPP Role

• Morning:

  • Module 1: Introduction to the DPP Role: The landscape of non-medical prescribing. The critical difference between a clinical supervisor and a DPP.

  • Module 2: Legal, Ethical, and Professional Accountability: Understanding your liability, indemnity, and the professional standards (e.g., NMC, GPhC, HCPC) that govern the DPP role.

• Afternoon:

  • Module 3: The Competency Framework: A deep dive into the RPS (or equivalent) Competency Framework for All Prescribers – the cornerstone of assessment.

  • Workshop: Establishing the Supervisory Relationship: Contracting with a trainee, setting boundaries, and defining the scope of practice for the learning period.

  • Day 1 Recap: Understanding the weight of the responsibility.

Day 2: Educational Principles and Assessment Strategies

• Morning:

  • Module 4: Educational Theory for the DPP: Principles of adult learning (Andragogy) and how to apply them in clinical practice.

  • Module 5: Designing the Learning Experience: Developing a structured and individualised Learning Agreement (PDP) that maps to competencies.

• Afternoon:

  • Module 6: The Assessment Toolkit: An overview of validated assessment methods: Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS), Case-Based Discussion (CbD), Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), and portfolio review.

  • Workshop: Writing SMART Learning Objectives: Practicing crafting specific, measurable objectives for a prescribing trainee.

  • Day 2 Recap: Building the framework for success.

Day 3: The Art of Feedback and Managing Difficulty

• Morning:

  • Module 7: Mastery of Feedback: Models for effective formative feedback (e.g., Pendleton, ALOBA). Moving from judgement to coaching.

  • Module 8: Documenting the Journey: How to maintain accurate, objective, and defensible records of supervision and assessment.

• Afternoon:

  • Module 9: Managing the Struggling or Failing Trainee: Early identification of underperformance. Implementing supportive action plans and understanding due process for escalation.

  • Role-Play: The Challenging Feedback Conversation: Practicing a meeting with a trainee who is not meeting expected competencies.

  • Day 3 Recap: Guiding development and upholding standards.

Day 4: Clinical Governance and Risk Management

• Morning:

  • Module 10: Clinical Governance in Prescribing: Your role in ensuring patient safety. Understanding common prescribing errors and how to mitigate them in training.

  • Module 11: Polypharmacy and Complex Cases: Supervising decision-making in patients with multimorbidity, complex polypharmacy, and those at high risk of adverse events.

• Afternoon:

  • Module 12: Legal and Ethical Dilemmas: Exploring issues such as off-label prescribing, capacity, safeguarding, and handling pressure to prescribe.

  • Case Study Analysis: Groups work through complex ethical and clinical prescribing scenarios a trainee might face.

  • Day 4 Recap: Ensuring safety in complex environments.

Day 5: Integration, Sign-Off, and Capstone Assessment

• Morning:

  • Module 13: Making the Final Assessment: Synthesising all evidence to make a holistic judgement of competence. Principles of triangulation.

  • Module 14: The Sign-Off Process: Completing final documentation confidently and writing a final summative report.

• Afternoon:

  • Capstone Activity: The Final Assessment Simulated Meeting:

    1. Participants review a mock trainee portfolio containing WPBAs, a log of prescriptions, and reflective accounts.

    2. They conduct a simulated final assessment meeting with a “trainee” (actor/role-play).

    3. They must decide if the trainee is competent and justify their decision with evidence.

  • Final Debrief and Accreditation: Facilitated feedback on performance, final Q&A, and awarding of certificates of completion.

  • Course Conclusion: Commitment to ongoing practice as a DPP.