News and presentations from today's Developing Your Role as a Designated Prescribing Practitioner vitual conference.
Opening the conference is chair Professor Angela Alexander MBE Working Party, The Designated Prescribing Practitioner Competency Framework, Royal Pharmaceutical Society & Professor Emerita School of Pharmacy, University of Reading.
Training and Supporting Non Medical Prescribers: Developing the role of the Designated Prescribing Practitioner & Extending the role to Non Medical Prescribers 
• supporting governance and accountability
• enabling non-medical prescribers (NMPs) to take on this designated practitioner role
• the new Designated Prescribing Practitioner Competency Framework
• how to evidence competence in the DPP role
• moving forward
Download The Designated Prescribing Practitioner Competency Framework
Developing your role as a Designated Prescribing Practitioner
Merina Michael, Non-Medical Prescriber Education Lead, (Trust Wide) 
Barts Health NHS Trust
• the role of the Designated Prescribing Practitioner
• integrating the role into day to day practice
• case studies
Merina said it is important for DPPs to share concerns, meet up and support each other. She went on to explain the four important areas to implementation of the Designated Prescribing Practitioner role; programme providers, Non-Medical/Nurse Prescriber trainees, DPPs, and employers/organisations. The programme providers assess competence of the NMP to take up the DPP role, and inform the development of training. The university gives clear guidance on practice supervision and who can supervise. The NMC states a need to have a practice assessor and practice supervisor in line with normal regulations. Merina outlined the requirements of these roles.
Merina said the DPP needs to be able to self-assess, demonstrate they can meet the required competencies, identify areas for development, and keep up-to-date with CPD and revalidation. The requirements to become a DPP include; at least three years’ experience as an independent prescriber, registration with regulatory body, currently prescribing at least once a week, some experience or training in teaching or clinical supervision.
Merina advised it is important for the NMP to have an understanding of the DPP role as it makes a big difference in supporting two way communication, support and guidance.
EXTENDED INTERACTIVE SESSION: Designated Prescribing Practitioners Improving Practice against the Framework
Katherine Hall, Associate Professor of Clinical Education 
University of Reading
• the required competencies of an individual taking on the DPP role
• the competencies required in delivering the role
• the learning environment and governance of the period of learning in practice
• using the prescribing competency dimensions for prescribing governance in practice
• governance of non-medical prescribing roles
• interactive discussion around case studies and examples in practice