King's College London

A minimum 2:2 undergraduate Bachelor’s (honours) degree

If you have a lower degree classification, or a degree in an unrelated subject, your application may be considered if you can demonstrate significant relevant work experience, or offer a related graduate qualification (such as a Masters or PGDip).

• We require you to have an MPharm or equivalent degree when applying.

• You must currently be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council or the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland.

• Applicants must have relevant experience in a UK pharmacy setting and be able to recognise, understand and articulate the skills and attributes required by a prescriber. This experience and awareness will act as the basis of their prescribing practice whilst training. 

• For the purposes of developing their independent prescribing practice applicants must identify an area of clinical or therapeutic practice on which to base their learning.

• You must have the agreement of a Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) to act as your mentor to supervise your learning in practice (see Designated Prescribing Practitioner Requirements section below)

• You will require written endorsement from your employer and/or sponsor whose patients they are going to prescribe for to indicate they have identified an area of clinical practice where independent/supplementary prescribing is required. In the acute sector, this would be the NHS hospital or private hospital that employs them. In primary care/community pharmacy this would be the employer or local commissioner of the service where independent/supplementary prescribing is required. An indication of service and patient need for a pharmacist prescriber should be indicated within the application, for example a focus on NHS or local priority or service development opportunity.

• You will require written endorsement from your employer and/or sponsor that they have up to date clinical, pharmacological and pharmaceutical knowledge relevant to their intended prescribing area. You must be able to demonstrate reflective practice and take responsibility for your own continued professional development.

Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) Requirements

The designated prescribing practitioner (DPP) is a health professional with active prescribing competence applicable to the areas in which they will be supervising.

They should have:

• At least 3 years’ prescribing experience in the relevant field of clinical practice

• Appropriate and up-to-date patient-facing clinical and diagnostic skills

• Experience and/or training in supporting and supervising other healthcare professionals

• Experience of assessing patient-facing clinical and diagnostic skills

• The support of their employing organisation to effectively carry out the role of DPP

 

DPP Responsibilities:

The DPP is responsible for overseeing the supervision of the trainee pharmacist independent prescriber and signing them off as a competent prescriber.

The DPP's responsibilities include:

• Support and supervise the pharmacist independent prescriber during their training in practice

• Assess the performance of pharmacist independent prescribers in training

• Provide feedback to the trainee pharmacist independent prescriber

• Attend a KCL training session (webinar) to fully understanding the programme requirements of the trainee pharmacist independent prescriber and the DPP

• Raise any concerns about the trainee pharmacist independent prescriber to the programme leaders at KCL