Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Personal Details
- Professional Eligibility
- Scope of Practice
- Clinical Competence
- Professional Experience
- Reasons for Applying
- Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP)
- Line Manager Support
- Funding
- Personal Statement
- Additional Requirements
- Conclusion
1. Introduction
Hi everyone, it’s Faheem, Pharmacist Prescriber, Contractor and Founder of MEDLRN. In this guide, I’m going to explain from start to finish how to fill out an application form if you’re looking to become an independent prescriber. Before we dive in, I want to remind you to subscribe, like, and share our YouTube channel. This content is specifically made for you, so please join our community as we work together to build a better world.
Let’s start with the application itself. Keep in mind that while I’m providing an overview, each university may have subtle differences in their application forms. The concepts, however, remain the same across the board.
2. Personal Details
The first section of most applications asks for your personal details. This is straightforward – your name, address, contact number, email, and so on. Make sure this information is accurate and correct, as it’s crucial for communication. They’ll also ask about your profession – whether you’re a pharmacist, nurse, or allied healthcare professional – and your professional registration number (like your GPhC number for pharmacists or NMC number for nurses).
3. Professional Eligibility
Moving on to section two, we delve into professional eligibility. Here, they may ask for your degree certificate and any postgraduate qualifications. As a pharmacist, mention any learning you’ve done with CPPE, or experiences like vaccinations or working at a COVID center. Whatever qualifications you have, they want to know about them in this section.
4. Scope of Practice
They’ll also want to know about your area of practice and scope of practice. It’s important to make your scope specific but not too narrow. For example, you might write that you want to develop your skills in hypertension stages one, two, and three for those presenting over the age of 45 with no comorbidities. Remember, your scope of practice should align with where you’ll be seeing patients. For community pharmacists, focusing on minor illnesses like UTIs or sore throats might be more appropriate than conditions requiring complex diagnostics.
5. Clinical Competence
The universities will want someone to vouch for your clinical competence. This is because the course is designed to teach you to prescribe, not to make clinical decisions or fully diagnose, manage, and treat diseases. While there are elements of clinical skills training, it’s not as in-depth as you might need for comprehensive patient care.
When describing how you undertake consultations, mention that you take a full history, document properly, and examine as needed. Even if your examinations are limited, like looking at eyes for conjunctivitis or inside the mouth for sore throats, it’s important to highlight this. Also mention that you refer patients when necessary, send referral letters to GPs, and do follow-ups.
6. Professional Experience
The application will ask about your professional qualifications. Don’t worry too much about your degree classification – whether you got a third class or a first, it doesn’t necessarily rule you in or out for prescribing. What matters is that you’re a pharmacist with the necessary clinical skills training.
They may ask for supporting information about professional experiences that could facilitate your prescribing. This is where you mention any work experience in GP practices, services like flu vaccinations, travel vaccinations, CPCS, or screening programs for conditions like diabetes or hypertension.
7. Reasons for Applying
You’ll need to explain your reasons for applying to the prescribing course. Discuss the benefits to the NHS, your employer, and yourself. You can talk about improving access to healthcare, reducing the burden on GPs, aligning with the NHS vision, uplifting our profession, introducing new and innovative services, and your own professional growth and motivation.
8. Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP)
There will be a section about your DPP (Designated Prescribing Practitioner) or DMP (Designated Medical Practitioner). These terms are used synonymously now. If you’re struggling to find a DPP, reach out to us at MEDLRN for help. Ensure your DPP is committed to supporting you throughout your qualification and afterwards. They should be willing to teach you relevant anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology, help you with history-taking and examinations, and support you with the university coursework.
9. Line Manager Support
You’ll need a line manager to vouch for you and support your application. If you’re a locum, you’ll need to find someone to fill this role. There should be a prescribing lead within your organization who can declare their willingness to support you and provide necessary resources.
10. Funding
The application will ask about funding. As of January 2023, HEE funding for pharmacists was set to end in March 2023, so be aware of the current funding situation when you apply.
11. Personal Statement
In your personal statement, talk about why you want to become a prescriber. Discuss how you’re aligning yourself with the NHS vision, mention the shortage of doctors, and highlight how pharmacists can help with the right support network. Detail your qualifications, experience with services like CPCS and vaccinations, and your approach to patient care. Explain why you want to attend that particular university.
12. Additional Requirements
Universities typically ask for two references – one academic and one professional. They may also ask for copies of your university qualifications and will require an enhanced DBS check.
13. Conclusion
Remember, this application process isn’t difficult – you’ve done similar things before. If you need any support, get in touch with us at MEDLRN.
