Dear Contractor
CPNI wishes to bring to your attention the recently updated criteria and application forms for the NICPLD Independent Prescribing course, which are available here on the NICPLD website. Contractors will be aware that planned reforms to the initial education and training of pharmacy students in Northern Ireland will mean that all pharmacists successfully joining the register from 2026 onwards will be annotated as Independent Prescribers. Those pharmacists already on the register or joining the register prior to 2026 may obtain IP status and annotation by successfully completing a recognised IP training course such as that provided by NICPLD.
CPNI is aware that the numbers of community pharmacists obtaining places on IP courses in Northern Ireland in previous years has been significantly lower than those from the Hospital and General Practice sectors. Recent changes to the application criteria are hoped to improve access for community pharmacists and as such contractors and their teams may find the updated application information to be of interest. Applications for those trainees hoping to commence the course in August/September 2023 will be accepted by email to nicpld-prescribing@qub.ac.uk from Monday 16 January 2023 with a closing date of Monday 6 March 2023.
SUMMARY
Information on the 2023/24 NICPLD Independent Prescribing course includes:
- This course (Post Graduate Certificate level) is divided into four modules and runs over an eight-month period.
- It includes 400 hours of learning time commitment plus 90 hours learning in practice.
- The pharmacist may complete their learning in practice at any point during the eight-month period.
- There will be approximately 8 compulsory workshop/assessment days which are likely to be conducted via zoom. Approximate dates are available on pages 7-8 of the trainee information booklet.
Changes to eligibility for the NICPLD Independent Prescribing course include:
- Prior to 2022, to be eligible for acceptance onto the course, pharmacists must have been practising for at least two years post registration and be able to produce evidence of clinical and therapeutic experience in their intended prescribing area.
- However, from Cohort 17 (starts Aug/Sept 2023), applicants no longer need to adhere to these criteria.
- Previously the Designated Prescriber Practitioner (DPP) was required to be a medical Doctor. The DPP can now be a non-medical prescriber.
As such, the criteria for applicants for the 2023 intake are:
- Current registration with GPhC/PSNI and be in good standing with them, or any other healthcare regulator with which they are registered
- Must have relevant patient-orientated experience in a UK (not ROI/elsewhere) pharmacy setting and be able to recognise, understand and articulate the skills and attributes required by a prescriber to act as the foundation of their prescribing practice whilst training
- Must identify an area of clinical or therapeutic practice on which to base their learning, for the purposes of developing their independent prescribing practice
- A Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) who has agreed to supervise their learning in practice. This named practitioner must be registered with and be in good standing with their healthcare professional body in Great Britain or Northern Ireland, have legal Independent Prescribing rights and have:
- Active prescribing competence in the areas in which they will be supervising;
- Appropriate patient-facing clinical and diagnostic skills;
- Supported or supervised other healthcare professionals, and
- The ability to assess patient-facing clinical and diagnostic skills.
ACTION
Contractors are advised to:
- Note the information provided on the NICPLD website.
- Read and refer any prospective pharmacist trainees to the:
- Read and refer any prospective DPPs considering acting for a pharmacist trainee to the:
- DPP information booklet
- DPP Agreement or Non-medical DPP Agreement (as applicable)
- Learning Agreement
- Note that prospective pharmacist trainees require their employer to act as their sponsor organisation, and as such contractors should consider the declarations and undertakings which are required from sponsors in both the Confirmation of Eligibility Form and the Learning Agreement.
- Note the opening date for applications is Monday 16 January and the closing date is Monday 6 March.
- Note that successful applicants will commence training in August/September 2023.
Please contact a member of the CPNI team should you have any queries.
Kind regards
GERARD GREENE
Chief Executive
