Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of (a) supervisor and (b) designated prescribing practitioners.

NHS England is investing in training for independent prescribers, as well as initiatives to support the development and safe practice of designated prescribing practitioners (DPPs) and educational supervisors. This will ensure the National Health Service is ready to support and mentor foundation trainee pharmacists from 2025, alongside training for currently registered pharmacists that are learning to be independent prescribers.

Reforms to pharmacist education and training will allow for development of prescriber pharmacists from the point of registration from 2026. This will enable a career-long focus on prescriber services and an associated expansion of the DPP workforce, to support multi-professional teams and the expansion of cross-sector prescribing services.