Preparing for formal IP development and prescribing practice

Approved routes where required, assessment/diagnostic development, supervised practice and evidence.

Pre-prescribing foundation: this module develops knowledge and judgement for formal prescribing education; it does not authorise prescribing.

• Identify when a separate approved IP programme is required.
• Plan development in assessment and diagnostic reasoning.
• Describe the purpose of supervised clinical learning.
• Build portfolio evidence across assessment, therapeutics, monitoring and communication.
• Seek exposure to uncertainty, continuity and follow-up during development.

Where a separate IP programme is required, education must meet GPhC standards and include supervised clinical learning.

Assessment and diagnostic reasoning may be a major developmental area for pharmacists whose prior roles were less clinically diagnostic.

Portfolio evidence should integrate assessment, therapeutic reasoning, monitoring and patient communication rather than focus only on drug knowledge.

Supervised practice should expose learners to uncertainty and follow-up, not just straightforward prescribing encounters.

Applied scenarios

A pharmacist has excellent therapeutics knowledge but limited physical examination experience.

A supervised practice placement offers little continuity or review of prescribing outcomes.

1. Define the clinical problem and whether prescribing is indicated.
2. Gather the patient-specific assessment and diagnostic information needed.
3. Check competence, professional authority and employer/service scope.
4. Compare reasonable options using current authoritative sources.
5. Agree the plan with the patient, including uncertainty and alternatives.
6. Prescribe accurately only when the decision is justified.
7. Document, monitor, review and safety-net.

Module emphasis: Choose supervised learning that develops assessment, diagnostic reasoning, treatment choice, monitoring and follow-up rather than relying only on medicines knowledge.

Scenario 1. A pharmacist has excellent therapeutics knowledge but limited physical examination experience.

Reasoning prompt: For each scenario, identify the developmental gap and design a supervised learning response that includes assessment, diagnostic reasoning, therapeutic decision-making, monitoring and follow-up.

Scenario 2. A supervised practice placement offers little continuity or review of prescribing outcomes.

Reasoning prompt: For each scenario, identify the developmental gap and design a supervised learning response that includes assessment, diagnostic reasoning, therapeutic decision-making, monitoring and follow-up.

• A legal entitlement to prescribe means the person is competent for every medicine and condition.
• Electronic prescribing systems remove the need for clinical checking.
• If a medicine appears in a formulary or BNF, it is automatically appropriate for the patient.
• Completing an educational programme is the same as professional authorisation to prescribe.

• What clinical problem am I trying to solve, and is prescribing indicated?
• What information is missing before a safe decision can be made?
• What regulator route/annotation applies, and what separate employer/service authorisation is required?
• Which current authoritative medicine or guideline source should I check?
• What patient-specific factors change benefit, harm, dose, route or monitoring?
• What will I document, monitor, review and safety-net?
• When should I seek supervision, pharmacy advice, specialist input or urgent escalation?

Optional reflection: Without entering identifiable patient or employer information, identify one capability you would need to strengthen before prescribing independently in this area.

• Where a separate IP programme is required, education must meet GPhC standards and include supervised clinical learning.
• Assessment and diagnostic reasoning may be a major developmental area for pharmacists whose prior roles were less clinically diagnostic.
• Portfolio evidence should integrate assessment, therapeutic reasoning, monitoring and patient communication rather than focus only on drug knowledge.
• Supervised practice should expose learners to uncertainty and follow-up, not just straightforward prescribing encounters.

Check current versions for time-sensitive decisions.

• GPHC-01 - General Pharmaceutical Council: Standards for education and training of pharmacist independent prescribersOpen official source
• GPHC-02 - General Pharmaceutical Council: Implementation guidance for pharmacist IP standards (updated Aug 2025)Open official source
• RPS-01 - Royal Pharmaceutical Society: A Competency Framework for All Prescribers (2021)Open official source