Pharmacy Foundation training year (FTY)

All trainee pharmacists require a suitable designated supervisor (DS) for the Foundation Training Year. From 2025-26, trainee pharmacists on the Full Learning Outcomes to prescriber pathway, will require both, a designated supervisor (DS) and a designated prescribing practitioner (DPP) for the PLP. The DS and DPP can be the same person if appropriately qualified. If the DS is not qualified to support in the role of DPP, there must be a separate DPP linked to the trainee pharmacist. The DPP does not have to be a pharmacist but could be a medical, nursing or allied health professional prescriber DPP. 

The short animations below provide a summary of the key roles and responsibilities of both Designated Supervisors and the Designated Prescribing Practitioners 

These are also summarised in the document below.

When thinking about roles and responsibilities it is also important to think about how other collaborators can support trainee pharmacists in the FTY.

The  animation below provides  a short introduction to this topic. 

To access the NES Pharmacy Collaborator Programme, which you may wish to complete, please select the image below.

Designated Supervisors(DSs) and Designated Prescribing Practitioners (DPPs) will be required to complete a supervisor declaration form. This will be sent to employers to distribute to named DSs and DPPs . Information within the declaration will be used to administer the Foundation Training Year (FTY) programme and quality assure the standard of supervision. 

NES have developed a couple of resources to help you complete the declaration: a brief video capturing key points and a more detailed guidance documents, which can be found below.

From the 2025-26 foundation training year onwards, every trainee pharmacist undertaking the NES FTY must be provided by their employer with a training plan to demonstrate how they will align to the training, assessment, and supervision requirements of the NES FTY in Scotland. This training plan should be based on the overall NES FTY training programme framework relevant to the sector(s) of practice but individualised to the needs of the specific training site, supervision arrangements in place for each trainee pharmacist and in line with the NES FTY programme that the trainee pharmacist will be following.

The NES FTY training programme frameworks (listed below) have been accredited for use by the GPhC and co-designed with stakeholders in the relevant sectors of practice. These contain information about incorporating the period of learning in practice (PLP) into the training plan to ensure achievement of the prescribing related learning outcomes where relevant.  

Where a trainee pharmacist is following the GPhC Interim Learning Outcomes to non-prescriber on registration pathway they are not required to complete a PLP or be supervised by a Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP). 

Employers with matched trainee pharmacists for the 2025-26 training year can use the NES FTY training programme frameworks and the DPP supervision templates to start preparing the training plan(s) for their organisation ready to share with designated supervisors in 2025. Consideration should also be given to the NHS Education for Scotland (NES) final sign off criteria and NES Pharmacy FTY Curriculum and Assessment Strategy when developing training plan(s).  

Employers should also consider the quality management measures which will be put in place to support supervisors who are responsible for the day-to-day support and development of trainee pharmacists. This should include communication strategies and any training and support that will be implemented by your organisation to supplement the NES FTY training for supervisors.  

Once you have developed your training plan(s) these can be shared with the DS to allow for any individualisation required for the training site and supervision arrangements.  Designated Supervisors will be asked as part of their declaration to confirm that a suitable training plan is in place for each of their trainee pharmacists.

NES have provided information in January 2025 within the Training Provider Information (TPI) system to inform them of the NES FTY programme to be followed by each matched trainee pharmacist. We will also then request employers to submit the following information for each trainee pharmacist for 2025-26:  

• The training site(s) allocated  
• The Designated Supervisor(s)  
• The Designated Prescribing Practitioner(s)  

The employer will be provided with a link to the supervisor declaration to be shared with DS and DPPs – these will be submitted directly to NES by the supervisors to allow us to complete the necessary approvals for each trainee pharmacist. Completion of the declaration will inform approval by NES in the relevant supervisory role and provide assurance that training plans have been prepared.  

These will be required to be completed by the end of April 2025 and NES will contact supervisors and employers to inform of approval once completed.  

The training plans should then be shared with each trainee pharmacist at the start of training, and they will be required to upload a copy to their Turas Training Portfolio during their Induction block of the programme.  

All supervisors must also attend a mandatory induction session. These can be booked on Turas courses and bookings pages after successful completion of the declaration. More information can be found under Training and Support.

This is a new process and a lot of change from previous FTY years so should you have any questions or need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us at FTY Pharmacy nes.ftypharmacy@nhs.scot.

The trainee pharmacist should have a named DPP at the start of the FTY even if the PLP does not begin till later in the year. It is anticipated the PLP could be completed within a 3–6-month period if necessary but the trainee pharmacist would require support and mentorship for the full 12 months if possible. The DPP induction meeting must occur by the week 26 appraisal point.  

Where a DS is also undertaking the role of the DPP, input from a second signatory will be required as a source of peer support for the DS. Whilst the second signatory could be a pharmacist it is important to identify someone who is appropriate for the training site and plan. . A second signatory is required for all appraisal milestones when this supervisor arrangement is in place. It does however not need to be the same individual who undertakes the second signatory role at each appraisal. The second signatory will provide a holistic overview of the trainee pharmacist’s performance at that stage in the training year and is not expected to review the portfolio. NES are available for supportive conversations should a supervisor be unsure who to approach.  

As currently happens, the DS oversees progression towards all IET learning outcomes, completing the 13/26/39 week appraisal and completes the final sign off of all IET learning outcomes week 49-52. Where a DS and DPP are working together, a DPP will provide prescribing learning outcomes progress to DS 2 weeks before 13/26/39 week appraisal. The DPP will also require to co-sign off the 19 GPhC IET prescribing related learning outcomes. 

These outcomes were identified by the Prescribing into Foundation Training Year reference group following mapping to the RPS  Competency Framework for all Prescribers. Final sign off these prescribing learning outcomes takes place from week 47-49 of the training year.