Pharmacists that qualify this year as independent prescribers (IPs) can register for a new national pilot programme to help them develop “confidence, competence and consistency in prescribing practice”.
Community Pharmacy England (CPE) said the pharmacist enhanced practice pathway (PEPP) will offer “structured support during this crucial early stage of practice” and will “strengthen clinical decision making” skills to manage “increasingly complex patient care”.
Created by NHS England, the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) and the Royal College of Pharmacy (RCPharm), there will be 1,200 places available across two cohorts.
Read more: Why I became an independent prescriber after 28 years (honestly)
There are 900 places for learners with a workplace education supervisor, with applications open on September 1.
And there are 300 places for learners who need CPPE-provided educational supervision, with those applications open on January 4.
CPPE said pharmacists who are IPs at the point of registration and working in any sector, as long as they are delivering NHS services, are eligible to apply.
Read more: ‘Training is at a tipping point for independent prescribing’
CPE said PEPP is designed to help learners with a “personalised development plan”, the chance to learn in a “structured workplace experience”, to develop a “reflective practice” and “grow as leaders, managers and educators”.
Those who receive a place will access online learning, workshops, supervised learning events, use the RCPharm e-portfolio to record their learning and also receive educational supervision to get feedback and review progress.
CPE said the pilot will “shape the future of pharmacist workforce development in England” as feedback will be used from participants, supervisors and employers to inform supporting newly qualified pharmacist prescribers.
Read more: ‘Is Independent Prescribing doomed to scale?’
It comes as integrated care boards have been given £51k to support IP implementation.
A National Pharmacy Association report showed reforms to the initial education and training of pharmacists standards mean that every community pharmacy could have a full-time pharmacist prescriber by the “early 2030s”.
