Becoming a DPP for a Foundation Trainee: What the Role Involves

Thinking about being a DPP for a foundation trainee pharmacist in England? Who can do it, the training you need, the 90 hours, what you can delegate, and how assessment and sign-off work.

By Umar Majid · 9 Nov 2026

Any registered healthcare professional with independent prescribing rights who is an active, patient-facing prescriber can be a designated prescribing practitioner (DPP) for a foundation trainee pharmacist, as long as they know the trainee's nominated prescribing area. That includes pharmacist independent prescribers, GPs and nurse prescribers. And for foundation trainees, NHS England doesn't require the three years of recent prescribing experience usually expected for postgraduate prescribing students.

Below is what the role involves in England, how much time it takes and what you actually sign off.

Who can be a DPP for a foundation trainee?

NHS England's guidance on prescribing supervision sets out the requirements. You must:

be a registered healthcare professional in Great Britain or Northern Ireland with independent prescribing rights
have no sanctions or conditions on your registration
be an active prescriber in a patient-facing role
have knowledge and experience relevant to the trainee's nominated prescribing area
practise in line with the Competency Framework for all Prescribers

You don't have to be a pharmacist. A GP, advanced nurse practitioner or paramedic prescriber can supervise a pharmacy trainee, and many do.

Is it the same as supervising a postgraduate IP student?

No, although people often assume it is. The rules for a qualified pharmacist on a university prescribing course are different.

	Foundation trainee (FTPP)	Postgraduate IP course student
Who sets the rules	NHS England and the GPhC learning outcomes	The university, within GPhC standards
Prescribing experience	Three years of recent prescribing experience not required	Normally at least three years of recent prescribing experience
Minimum supervised learning	At least 90 hours, logged in the e-portfolio	At least 90 hours, with extra rules set by each university
Assessment tools	NHS England prescribing assessment activities and SLEs	University forms, competency sign-off and assessments
Final decision	DPP confirms prescribing, the designated supervisor (DS) gives final sign-off	DPP signs the statement of competence for the university

Universities often add their own rules for postgraduate students. One 2026/27 course, for example, requires at least 45 of the 90 hours in direct contact with the DPP, and another limits each DPP to two learners. If you also supervise qualified pharmacists, check each university's guidance.

What training do you need?

NHS England expects DPPs for foundation trainees to have the Foundation Trainee Pharmacist Programme orientation training, equality, diversity and inclusion training if your organisation requires it, and up-to-date supervision training. That supervision training should cover educational theory, assessment, feedback and supporting trainees who need extra help.

The RPS competency framework for DPPs is the main good practice reference. The RPS became the Royal College of Pharmacy (RCPharm) in April 2026, so you may see the framework under either name. If you already supervise medical or nursing learners, check whether your existing educator training covers these areas.

What does a DPP do?

At the start

First, agree the nominated prescribing area with the trainee and the DS. It has to suit the trainee's stage, be an area you can supervise, and give the trainee access to patients. It's recorded in the e-portfolio when the trainee starts.

Then complete the prescribing learning agreement and learning needs analysis with the trainee at the start of prescribing practice time, and plan the 90 hours. They don't need to be one block. NHS England gives examples such as half a day daily over five to six weeks, one day a week over 13 weeks, or a four to six week placement.

The nominated area doesn't limit what the trainee can prescribe later in their career. It's a training area, not a lifetime scope.

During the year

You oversee five prescribing assessment activities:

Activity	Where it can happen
History taking	Can be outside the nominated area if it does not lead to a prescribing decision
Physical and clinical examination	Can be outside the nominated area if it does not lead to a prescribing decision
Prescribing consultation	Must be in the nominated area
Prescription writing	Must be in the nominated area
Log of 90 hours	Records all prescribing learning

The first four each need at least three supervised learning events (SLEs). Some must be directly observed, and you can ask for repeats if the standard isn't met. Trainees can't sign prescriptions. A registered prescriber must sign and take responsibility.

At the end

The final prescribing development review is a meeting between the trainee, you and the DS. You confirm the prescribing activities are complete, the prescribing competencies are met and at least 90 hours are logged, and that the trainee is suitable to register as a prescriber. The DS then makes the final sign-off decision against the learning outcomes, which can happen from week 49.

Can you delegate?

Yes. You need oversight of the 90 hours, but you don't have to supervise every hour yourself.

You can delegate learning activities to other appropriately experienced colleagues, such as other prescribers in your team, and those delegated supervisors can sign evidence in the e-portfolio. You still have to make sure appropriate clinical supervision is in place at all times, and you remain responsible for the final prescribing sign-off.

Delegation works best when your colleagues know the trainee's nominated area and the assessment tools. Brief them before they sign anything.

How much time does it take?

There's no fixed figure. The 90 hours is a minimum for the trainee's learning, and NHS England expects most trainees to spend considerably more time on prescribing. Your own time goes on:

the start-of-placement planning meetings
observing and assessing SLEs
reviewing the hours log and giving feedback
liaising with the DS at progress reviews
the final prescribing development review

One DPP quoted in The Pharmaceutical Journal reported spending around 150 hours with a single trainee. Before you agree, talk to your employer about how much clinical time you'll spend with the trainee, how your workload will be covered and whether you get protected time.

Can the DS also be the DPP?

Yes, if one person meets both person specifications. The DS role needs at least three years' registration as a pharmacist and current knowledge of foundation training. If you're acting only as DPP, you don't need to meet the DS requirements.

Where the roles are split, agree early who does what. Our guide to independent prescribing in the foundation year covers the trainee side, and your first year as a designated supervisor covers the DS side.

Common questions

Can a GP be a DPP for a pharmacy trainee? Yes. Any registered healthcare professional with independent prescribing rights can be a DPP if they're an active, patient-facing prescriber with relevant experience in the nominated area.

Do I need three years of prescribing experience? Not for foundation trainees. NHS England guidance says it isn't required, although many universities expect it for postgraduate IP students.

Do I have to supervise all 90 hours? No. You need oversight of the hours and can delegate supervision to suitably experienced colleagues, but you stay responsible for final prescribing sign-off.

Can I supervise more than one trainee? NHS England has confirmed that a DPP can supervise more than one trainee. Just make sure you have the time and patient access for each of them.

Who makes the final sign-off decision? You confirm the prescribing elements. The DS makes the final sign-off against the GPhC learning outcomes, informed by your decision.

Making the DPP role manageable

Supervising is a lot easier when the trainee turns up organised. Pre-Reg Shortcuts supports designated supervisors and prescribers with practical guidance on supervision, assessment and sign-off, and helps trainees plan their e-portfolio evidence around their rota.

See our Designated Supervisor and Prescriber Programme and Approved Training Plan, both free when an employer enrols their trainee, or contact us to talk about your training sites.