Supporting healthcare professionals to prescribe effectively: The National Competency Framework for all prescribers
Katherine Hall, Director of CIPPET, University of Reading, Clinical Pharmacist, Imperial College NHS Foundation Trust
Kat works at the University of Reading as Director of the Centre for Inter-Professional Postgraduate Education and Training (CIPPET). She manages the programme teams delivering a range of workplace-based postgraduate programmes, including Independent/Supplementary Prescribing for Allied Health Professionals, Nurses and Pharmacists and one of the remaining conversion programmes for supplementary prescribing pharmacists. She has led the CIPPET team through accreditation with the GPhC, NMC and HCPC and works with Cathy Picton, Lead Author of ‘A Competency Framework for all Prescribers’, to promote ways of using the framework to support prescribing competence. She is an Associate Professor of Clinical Education and an independent prescriber, maintaining a clinical commitment as a Lead Women’s and Children’s Pharmacist.
"The idea of the competency framework is for it to be used by any prescriber at any point in their career. It supports revalidation. The competency framework forms the basis of a ‘passport’ for all non-medical prescribers and this has gone down really well."
Katherine refers to a video on the RCN website which shows you how to use the framework for revalidation:
"What is competent?: It’s about being safe & making safe decisions, not about being the best. Healthcare is changing with the transferring of patients Prescribe professionally is the governance of what you are doing, very different to professionalism. 10.3 ‘Negotiates the appropriate level of support’. Is easy to see yourself in isolation, especially in primary care. Gives you a benchmark against other people."
Katherine asked the group to share their case studies via the royal college of pharmacy email, they are always looking for new case studies.
The new Competency Framework for Designated Prescribing Practitioners
Professor Angela Alexander MBE, Professor Emerita, School of Pharmacy, University of Reading & Chair, Working Party, The competency framework for prescribing supervisors and assessors/designated prescribing practitioners (DPP)
Pre-event abstract
This presentation will consider the new multi-professional competency framework for Designated Prescribing Practitioners. The process of development and structure of the framework will be discussed. Participants will be encouraged to think about how they could take on the role and provide evidence of meeting the competencies.
"There are enough challenged in the NHS, so more prescribers can only be a good thing. The RPS have already had a couple of meetings about the framework development process and are pleased so far with it’s progress. Angela put to the group ‘How would you use this document ’Competency Framework’. Managers: How do you encourage your staff to take on this role?. We recognise many prescribers may not actually be prescribing but making prescribing decisions. 4.3 of the framework refers to the escalation of competence. Learning Governance: Have you got support from your employer so that you can support others."
Demonstrating prescribing proficiency - Case study: Non Medical Prescribing for Pain
Inge Bateman, Lead Clinical Nurse Specialist In-patient Pain Service, Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Pre-event abstract
Non-medical prescribing needs to be used in the context of safe delivery of care and therefor part of sound governance framework within your organisation. I will share my experiences both as a Non-medical Prescriber but also as a former Non-medical Prescribing Lead for the Trust. Concerns are frequently being raised in relation to deskilling other professionals by having clinical nurse specialists and in particular if they are Non-medical Prescribers as well. It is like everything a balancing act between delivering best care here and now and long-term benefits, which I believe are best achieved by having clinical nurse specialist that are prescribers but also understand the context of prescribing within a team approach. Maintaining competency and demonstrating this can be a challenge so I will share some of the experiences from our Trust. Through case based discussion I will cover clinical application of non-medical prescribed related to Inpatient Pain Management.
Demonstrating competence and using the framework in practice
Claire Callaghan, Senior Lecturer Programme Leader Non-Medical Prescribing, Institute of Health, University of Cumbria
Pre-event abstract
Demonstrating competence and using the single competency framework in practice. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society published the revised version of the competency framework for all prescribers in 2016. This framework is increasingly used to support the initial development of prescribing competence as well as the maintenance and continuing development of prescribing practice. This session will provide an opportunity to examine the competency framework and consider its relevance for you in your field of prescribing practice relating to: the use of the framework to demonstrate competence in non medical prescribing practice;
- training and educating prescribers to use the framework in practice with consideration given to:
- developing advanced roles and services around prescribing;
- ensuring you have the history-taking, clinical assessment and diagnosis skills to prescribe appropriately and effectively. - keeping your prescribing knowledge up-to-date: accessing education, training and resources.
- implementing the framework within different professional groups.
- supporting non medical prescribers: infrastructure needed to support the safe and effective development and implementation of non medical prescribing.