Joint Programmes Board (JPB)
The JPB is a consortium of Higher Education Institutes in London, the East and South East regions of England, and the NHS. It develops and delivers unified post-registration education to pharmacy practitioners across these regions. The DipGPP is delivered by JPB, which has a competency approach and is performance assessed. Students who pass the DipGPP receive a Statement of Completion of General Practice (SCGP), recognised by the NHS. The JPB is currently developing other post-registration programmes for pharmacy practitioners, from immediate post-registration juniors through to Consultant pharmacists. The philosophy of work-based learning is at the heart of JPB programmes; this serves to widen access to post-registration formal education for all pharmacist practitioners. The portfolio of JPB programmes address policy developments in health care, specifically Agenda for Change; the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework; the Foster review recommendations; fitness for practise and patient safety agendas. (Top)

Competency Development and Evaluation Group (CoDEG)
CoDEG is a collaborative network of academics, practitioners and researchers. CoDEG undertakes research and evaluation in order to support pharmacy practitioners’ professional development and fitness to practice. CoDEG develops competency frameworks (including the GLF and ACLF), performance-related assessment instruments and other practitioner development tools. (Top)

Diploma in General Pharmacy Practice (DipGPP)
A work-based postgraduate, post-registration diploma with a philosophy of learning through practice, learner self-direction and performance assessment. The DipGPP is run by the Joint Programmes Board (JPB), a working collaboration between the Higher Education sector and the NHS in the London, Eastern and South East region of England. The curriculum will develop the foundations of specialism in practitioners as they progress towards the award of the DipGPP. (Top)

Workplace education
Workplace education is a course which is based in the workplace, where the student, or ‘student-practitioner’, can learn through his or her practice. This approach is fundamentally different to campus-based courses where didactic learning takes place through lectures, laboratories and tutorials. With this educational approach it is important that the student-practitioner is motivated, or self-directed. The student must take the initiative to identify which areas of practice, knowledge or skills he or she needs in order to be considered competent at his or her level of practice. The student must then independently ‘top up’ these shortfalls. Areas of improvement, or learning needs, can be identified by undertaking performance-related assessments. (Top)

Learner self-direction
Learner self-direction is where the student takes the initiative to learn, rather than simply being given information. This does not necessarily mean in isolation from others. Students can organise study groups, workshops or revision sessions with other students or practitioners. Equally, they can access learning resources such as web-based materials or consult tutors or supervisors. It requires students to assess their learning needs – gaps in knowledge, skills or practice – and to investigate ways to address those needs. Learner self-direction does not mean that students can choose whether they learn something or not - ultimately they will be assessed on their knowledge and practice – rather, it emphasises that the student should take responsibility for their learning and progression, and ultimately their improved practice, rather than being passive. (Top)

Competency framework
A competency framework is a collection of competencies thought to be central for effective performance. A competency is a quality or characteristic of a person related to effective or superior performance. It is made up of many things such as motives, traits, skills and values. A behavioural competency describes typical behaviour observed when effective performers apply motives, traits or skill to job relevant tasks. Competency frameworks can be used to support a range of different things. Typically, they are used to help with training and development, recruitment and performance review. (Top)

Professional Development
Professional development is a continuous process of personal and professional growth, to improve one’s capability and realise one’s full potential. Professional development can be achieved by constantly developing one’s knowledge, skills and experience which can lead to maintaining or improving competence in practice. All practising pharmacists have an ethical obligation to undertake professional development, and a professional obligation to maintain a record of their professional development activities. In the UK, this can be done online at the RPSGB Plan & Record website (www.uptodate.org.uk). The General Level Framework can be used by pharmacy practitioners to support professional development, and is available to use as evidence on www.uptodate.org.uk.  (Top)

General Level Framework (GLF)
The General Level Framework (GLF) is a competency framework of general level pharmacy practice competencies. It is ordered into four clusters of competency behaviours: delivery of patient care; personal competencies; problem-solving competencies; and, management and organisation competencies. It supports development of pharmacy practitioners from registration through to a general level of practice. It is used as a performance-related assessment tool in the DipGPP and can be used independently by general level practitioners as a learning needs assessment tool. (Top)

Advanced and Consultant Level Framework (ACLF)
The ACLF is a competency framework designed to be used by higher level practitioners. It provides a reference for the competencies desired at each level of practice and describes a clear pathway for personal and professional development up to and including Consultant pharmacists. Unlike the GLF, which is used as an assessment tool, the ACLF is currently used as a self-development tool for higher level practitioners to map their own practice and identify their own levels of competence. (Top)

Performance-related assessment
Performance-related assessments are tools which identify levels of performance and behaviours, rather than, or as well as, levels of knowledge. Being able to apply knowledge to (improve) practice is a key concept within the DipGPP. Tools which assess performance within the world of pharmacy include the GLF, the mini-PAT, the mini-CEX and OSCEs. (Top)

Mini Peer Assessment Tool (mini-PAT)
The mini-PAT (Peer Assessment Tool) is used as an educational method of assessing professional competence within a team-working environment. It provides developmental feedback to the student-practitioner in order to improve professional competence and patient care by directing learning and improving their insight. It is also known as a ‘360 degree assessment’. Student-practitioners are assessed doing what is normally expected of them in their usual working environment. The mini-PAT uses the GLF clusters and asks the student and their peers whether they believe the student is below, above, or meets expectations for GLF completion. (Top)

A student-practitioner will nominate several supervising pharmacists, senior technicians, doctors and experienced nurses or allied health profession colleagues with whom they work closely with as part of their job. The student-practitioner completes the form, as do the nominated peers. An assessor will collect in the forms and calculate a mean score per question and a global rating compared to the students’ self rating. Comparison of the raters’ perceptions of their performance with their own is very useful. Feedback can be discussed with a tutor. Discussions should facilitate personal development by focussing on areas of strength. It should also identify areas of development and learning needs. (Top)

Mini Clinical Evaluation Exercise (CEX)
The mini-CEX (Clinical Evaluation Exercise) is designed to provide feedback on students’ ability to perform pharmaceutical care of the patients in practice. It assesses the ‘Delivery of Patient Care’ and ‘Problem Solving’ clusters of the GLF. Student-practitioners will propose several patient cases, of which one will be chosen by the tutor. The tutor will then observe the practitioner engaging with the patient within a clinical context. Strengths, areas for development and action points will be agreed between the student-practitioner and their tutor following each assessment. (Top)

Case-based discussions (CBD)
Case-based discussions (CBD) are designed to assess clinical decision making and the application or use of pharmaceutical knowledge in the student-practitioners own cases. It also enables the discussion of the ethical and legal framework of practice and allows practitioners to discuss why they acted as they did. The student-practitioner will select a number of clinical areas from a list provided that they wish to discuss with the assessor.(Top)

Observed Structured Clinical Evaluation (OSCE)
An Observed Structured Clinical Evaluation (OSCE) is used to assess clinical skills performance. The evaluation usually consists of several short (5-10 minute) stations and each is examined on a one-to-one basis with either real or simulated patients. An OSCE is made objective by having a detailed mark scheme and standard set of questions. (Top)