Designated Supervisor Information and Resources

What are the criteria to be a designated supervisor? Do you have to be an independent prescriber to be a designated supervisor?  

The eligibility criteria for designated supervisors are set by the GPhC and can be found here.  You do NOT have to be an independent prescriber to be a designated supervisor.  

In the future, when independent prescribing is incorporated into the foundation training year, trainee pharmacists will need a designated prescribing practitioner to support their learning and assess them against specific outcomes. This may be a different person to their designated supervisor. 

The GPhC will provide further updates as decisions are made around the implementation of the full learning outcomes over coming years, and how this will be reflected in any changes to the current supervision requirements.  

Are designated supervisors required to have mandatory training to ensure that they can perform this role effectively?  

The GPhC have set out eligibility requirements for designated supervisors that must be met, in the same way that eligibility requirements for pre-registration tutors were previously required. Pharmacy professionals are expected to act in accordance with their standards for pharmacy professionals. In line with standard four, they would expect a registrant to have the appropriate knowledge and skills to carry out the role of the designated supervisor.  

The GPhC Designated Supervisor page has the following linked resources:  

- GPhC Foundation training 2021/22 – Designated supervisor suitability policy 

- GPhC Foundation training year 2021/22 – Guidance for foundation training supervisors 

- Foundation training year 2021/22 – Designated supervisor development resource 

HEE do not currently mandate training for designated supervisors, but we strongly encourage all training sites / employers to ensure that all designated supervisors have reviewed and are familiar with the assessment strategy resources on our website, and that they have completed appropriate training relating to education supervision skills. Where a training post is funded by HEE, there is a requirement that the training site meets the HEE Quality Framework criteria, as set out in the Education Contract. This includes criteria relating to appropriate education and practice supervision for each trainee.  

Resources available for education supervision training include:  

- E-learning for healthcare (e-LfH) Pharmacy Educational Supervisor Training   

- CPPE gateway page: ‘Helping others learn’   

- Regionally commissioned courses where available. Please contact your regional HEE pharmacy office for more information:  

North West: medicinesoptimisation.north@hee.nhs.uk  

North East and Yorkshire: medicinesoptimisation.north@hee.nhs.uk  

Midlands: pharmacy.me@hee.nhs.uk  

East of England: pharmacy.eoe@hee.nhs.uk  

London: lasepharmacy@hee.nhs.uk 

South East (Kent, Surrey and Sussex): lasepharmacy@hee.nhs.uk 

South East (Thames Valley and Wessex): pharmacy.south@hee.nhs.uk   

South West: pharmacy.south@hee.nhs.uk  

Will designated supervisors be trained on the new assessment strategy and tools before their trainees start?  

A range of resources about the HEE Assessment Strategy is available on our website, including:  

- HEE’s Assessment Strategy   

- Assessment activities guide  

- Visual mapping of the assessment activities 

- Assessment tools and associated short training videos  

We continue to engage with employees in all sectors to support them with use of the assessment strategy. 

Additional support resources continue to developed and made available. To receive news and updates by email about the initial education and training of pharmacists, please complete this form.   

Will the HEE commissioned training programmes for foundation training change this year / next year?   

The provision varies regionally, and we will move towards a more consistent approach over the next few years as the IETP reforms are fully implemented. We will continue to engage with you to keep you updated.     

We are developing our national offer of training materials, but these are intended to complement rather than replace local or other training programmes. 

To receive news and updates by email about the initial education and training of pharmacists, please register here.   

Is there going to be some protected time to help with supervision?  

It is down to the employing organisation/training providers to determine how best designated supervisors are supported to supervise and assess trainee pharmacists.  

Where a training post is funded by Health Education England, there is a requirement that the training site meets the HEE Quality Framework criteria, as set out in the Education Contract. This includes criteria relating to appropriate education and practice supervision for each trainee.  

Do you have to be an independent prescriber to be a designated supervisor?  

The eligibility criteria for designated supervisors are set by the GPhC and can be found here.   

You do NOT have to be an independent prescriber to be a designated supervisor.  

In the future, when independent prescribing is incorporated into the foundation training year, trainee pharmacists will need a designated prescribing practitioner (DPP) to support their learning and assess them against specific outcomes. This may be a different person to their designated supervisor.  

The GPhC will provide further updates as decisions are made around the implementation of the full learning outcomes over coming years, and how this will be reflected in any changes to the current supervision requirements.