The Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP)
The Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) plays a pivotal role in the V300 Independent and Supplementary Prescribing programme. Formerly known as the Practice Supervisor, the DPP is responsible for overseeing the practical learning and assessment of prescribing students in clinical settings. The DPP is a prescribing-specific role used across professions, whereas the Practice assessor is an NMC-specific role focused on broader clinical assessment, including, but not limited to, prescribing.
Clinical Supervision
V300 prescribing students are considered supernumerary during their 90 hours of practice-based learning. This means they are not counted in the workforce numbers and are not responsible for delivering service during their supervised prescribing placement.
In NMC-regulated programmes, a prescribing student may have both a Practice Supervisor and a Practice Assessor, while in multi-professional contexts, the DPP may encompass both functions.
To act as a Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP), both the individual and their clinical environment must meet specific standards to ensure safe, effective supervision of prescribing students. These requirements are outlined in the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) DPP Competency Framework and supported by NHS England and various universities.
Requirements for the Individual DPP
Requirements for the Premises
- Must be an active independent prescriber with at least 3 years of prescribing experience in a patient-facing role
- Must have current clinical and diagnostic skills relevant to the student’s area of practice (e.g., aesthetics, dermatology, primary care).
- Must understand the legal scope of non-medical prescribing for the student’s profession (e.g., nurse, pharmacist).
- Must have experience supporting or supervising other healthcare professionals in clinical practice.
- Must be able to facilitate learning, provide constructive feedback, and assess prescribing competence objectively.
- Must work in line with legal, regulatory, professional, and organisational standards
- Must be a patient-facing setting where prescribing decisions are routinely made and observed.
- Must allow the student to engage in supervised prescribing activities, including history-taking, diagnosis, and treatment planning.
Must have appropriate clinical governance structures, including:
- Access to patient records
• Safeguarding protocols - Escalation pathways
- Medicines management systems
- Must ensure confidentiality, patient safety, and continuity of care during the student’s supervised practice.
- The premises must allow the student to complete 90 hours of supervised practice with adequate time, space, and resources.
- Must support the DPP in fulfilling their supervisory role without compromising service delivery.
In addition, would like to join us for your clinical placement? In that case, we have limited availability at our CQC-registered clinic in Tamworth, Staffordshire, where Dr Martyn King can facilitate the DPP role. Please visit the website.
