UEA produces England's most decorated early career pharmacists
By: Communications
The first graduates from UEA’s flagship NQP-IP programme have completed, and are the only pharmacists in England to hold, the triple recognition of Postgraduate Diploma in Pharmacy Practice, Independent Prescriber and RPS Post-registration Foundation Credential.
NQP-IP is the first and only integrated programme of post-registration training, where a Newly Qualified Pharmacist (NQP) training programme and Independent Prescribing (IP) are studied concurrently to create a broader scope of prescribing practice as well as development in all five domains of the RPS credentialing process and a Masters level of academic attainment (PGDip).
Dana John of the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital received her credential on 9 April 2025.
Of the programme, she said: “This experience has allowed me to gain a wealth of clinical knowledge but more importantly, I've learned so much about myself both personally and professionally. Thank you so much for everything.”
The programme was conceived, designed and led by Dr Lindsay Morgan and is under evaluation by Dr Hannah Kinsey, who is exploring the readiness of candidates to prescribe in contemporary practice and the views of pharmacist prescribing of both the candidates and their leadership. Jenny Hannah has led the integration of the RPS portfolio elements with workplace assessment and ensured the conditions of high quality evidence generation.
Dr Morgan explains: “The NQP-IP programme was conceived in response to a number of workforce challenges when it comes to pharmacist prescribing. We wanted to see how a longitudinal programme would impact confidence to prescribe as this is still an issue at the end of intense traditional IP course and often prevents full conversion to prescribing practice.
"We also wanted to explore what was possible for an early career pharmacist to prescribe well, and the type of training and supervision needed to get them there. This informs a bigger conversation about what hospital pharmacist could and should prescribe in the early years post-2026.
"To say that these pharmacists have worked hard is an understatement and I’m immensely proud of them all, and grateful to their employers and supervisors who took, and continue to take with following cohorts, a risk alongside us to see what was possible.”
In fact, UEA sends all of its post-registration candidates to the RPS panels for national benchmarking and has achieved a pass rate well above the national average.
NQP candidates who did not follow an integrated IP programme will receive their credential once they have completed a traditional IP course however their output, both clinical and non-clinical, has still been found to meet criteria of complexity and impact according the RPS domain outcomes. This shows that good quality, non-prescribing Clinical Pharmacy Practice is impactful, worthy work and will continue to be so even as the prescribing role evolves.
The following employers, in conjunction with UEA, have now successfully supported NQP candidates through the RPS Post-reg Foundation Credential and we look forward to further joint successes in the Summer credentialling round:
- Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NQP-IP)
- Cambridge University Hospitals NSH Foundation Trust (NQP)
- East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (NQP)
- Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (NQP)
- James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NQP)
- Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NQP-IP)
- North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust (NQP-IP)
- Royal Papworth NHS Foundation Trust (NQP)
- West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (NQP).
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