Pre-registration Manual

Registration assessment framework

 

5.8  Registration assessment framework

The registration assessment framework explains what we are testing in the registration assessment. You can download a PDF copy of the framework here.

The registration assessment tests some, but not all, of the learning outcomes set out in Future pharmacists: standards for initial education and training of pharmacists. The other outcomes will be tested as part of your MPharm degree and pre-registration training placement - some may be tested in more than one way.

In the framework, each of the learning outcomes tested by the registration assessment has been linked to ‘indicative assessment topics’. This will help you better understand how learning outcomes are applied.

The assessment topics give an idea of what will be tested – there will be other topics included in an assessment paper. Pharmacy is a very broad subject, so it is not realistic to provide a framework that covers every topic in detail.

You can find out more about the framework in our YouTube video presentation.

To help you understand the relative importance of each outcome to the registration assessment, we have given them a weighting of high, medium or low:

Outcome weightings

Proportion of questions  

 

high weighting

 60% to 70%  

medium weighting

25% to 35%

low weighting

up to 10%

 

5.9 Registration assessment outcomes

10.1     Expectations of a pharmacy professional

Future pharmacists outcome

Indicative assessment topics

Low

Recognise the duty to take action if a colleague’s health, performance or conduct is putting patients or the public at risk

  • Regulatory standards and guidance documents
  • Action to take if a colleague’s conduct has the potential to affect patient or public health

Low

Apply the principles of clinical governance in practice

  • Purpose and principles of clinical governance
  • Risk management in pharmacy and other healthcare contexts
  • Systems to reduce medication errors

Low

Demonstrate how the science of pharmacy is applied in designing and developing medicines and devices

  • Factors affecting the stability of medicinal products
  • Procedures for the dilution of solid, semi-solid and liquid dosage forms

  Medium    

Respond appropriately to medical emergencies, including providing first aid

  • Appropriate responses to medical emergencies

 

10.2

The skills required in practice

10.2.1

Implementing health policy

Future pharmacists outcome

Indicative assessment topics

High   

Access and critically evaluate evidence to support the safe, rational and cost-effective use of medicines

  • Principles of obtaining and applying evidence for use in current practice
  • Interpreting and applying information to improve patient care

Medium  

Apply knowledge of current pharmacy-related policy to improve health outcomes

  • Principles of promoting healthy lifestyles including current pharmacy-related policy
  • Collaboration across the healthcare professions to improve patient outcomes
  • Purpose of prescribing guidelines

 

10.2.2

Validating therapeutic approaches and supplying prescribed and over-the-counter medicines

Future pharmacists outcome

Indicative assessment topics

High

Identify and employ the appropriate diagnostic or physiological testing techniques in order to promote health

  • Selecting appropriate diagnostic or physiological testing techniques for use in clinical decision-making and to promote health
  • Normal ranges for test results, and actions to take when results are out of the normal range

Medium

Identify inappropriate health behaviours and recommend suitable approaches to interventions

  • Concepts of health promotion, health education and health improvement programmes, based on national and local health priorities and parameters
  • Role of pharmacists and pharmacy support staff in promoting health and preventing disease
  • Behavioural change as a tool to support health promotion
  • Social, environmental and dietary factors that influence health

High

Instruct patients in the safe and effective use of their medicines and devices

  • Identifying appropriate advice on the use of medicines

 Medium  

Analyse prescriptions for validity and clarity

  • Legal and professional requirements for prescriptions, to enable the safe and legal supply of medicines

High

Clinically evaluate the appropriateness of prescribed medicines

  • Appropriateness of prescribed medicines, for example in the context of presenting conditions, associated diseases, and test results
  • Circumstances in which prescribed medicines are contra-indicated
  • Interactions that occur between medicines (either prescribed or purchased), and between these medicines and food or other substances
  • Use of licensed, off-label and unlicensed medicines including providing information to patients

High

Provide, monitor and modify prescribed treatment to maximise health outcomes

  • Principles of medicines management, medicines optimisation and pharmaceutical care
  • Dosages and dose adjustments, especially for people with particular needs due to, for example, age or health conditions
  • Reasons for treatment failures
  • Recognising and managing adverse effects of medicines
  • Mechanism of action, administration, absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of medicines

Low

Record, maintain and store patient data

  • Maintaining confidentiality, and disclosing information both with and without the subject’s consent
  • Information governance
  • Requirements for recording, maintaining and storing data

Med

Supply medicines safely and efficiently, consistently within legal requirements and best professional practice. NB: This should be demonstrated for both human and veterinary medicines

  • Statutory regulations and professional requirements for the supply of human and veterinary medicines

 

10.2.3

Ensuring that safe and effective systems are in place to manage the risk inherent in the practice of pharmacy and the delivery of pharmaceutical services

Future pharmacists outcome

Indicative assessment topics

Low

Ensure the quality of ingredients to produce medicines and products

  • Quality assurance processes for medicines and ingredients
  • Storage requirements for medicines and ingredients

Med

Apply pharmaceutical principles to the formulation, preparation and packaging of products

  • Formulation, preparation and packaging of products

 High

(Part 1)

Use pharmaceutical calculations to verify the safety of doses and administration rates

  • Accurately perform calculations affecting patient care

Low

Procure and store medicines and other pharmaceutical products working within a quality assurance framework

  • Procurement and storage of medicines
  • Additional precautions necessary for particular formulations

Low

Dispose of medicines safely, legally and effectively

  • Statutory regulations covering the safe, legal and effective disposal of medicines
  • Procedures for the disposal of special and controlled waste from the pharmacy

Low

Identify, report and prevent errors and unsafe practice

  • Supervising others involved in service delivery
  • Identifying, reporting and preventing errors and unsafe practices
  • Responding to complaints and concerns

 

10.2.4

Working with patients and the public

Future pharmacists outcome

Indicative assessment topics

High

Identify and employ the appropriate diagnostic or physiological testing techniques to use in clinical decision-making

  • Identifying appropriate diagnostic or physiological testing techniques, and interpreting results
  • Identifying conditions that need referring to another healthcare professional
  • Identifying conditions that may be treated by non-prescription medicines

 

10.2.5

Maintaining and improving professional performance

Future pharmacists outcome

Indicative assessment topics

Low

Demonstrate the characteristics of a prospective professional pharmacist as set out in relevant codes of conduct and behaviour

  • Characteristics and expected behaviours of a pharmacist as set out in the relevant standards and guidance
  • Principles and application of the professional duty of candour

Low

Participate in audit and in implementing recommendations

  • Purpose of audit and principles of audit procedures
  • Principles of change management

Low

Contribute to the development and support of individuals and teams

  • Principles of identifying, and responding to, the learning and development needs of professional team members
  • Principles of revalidation and regulatory requirements

Therapeutic areas

Questions in part two that relate to clinical care are linked to key therapeutic areas. An individual question may link to multiple therapeutic areas: for example, a patient may be described who has hypertension and type 2 diabetes. The weighting given to individual therapeutic areas is shown in the table below.

Therapeutic area

Weighting

Cardiovascular system

High

Nervous system

High

Endocrine system

High

Infection

High

Genito-urinary tract system

Medium

Gastro-intestinal system

Medium

Respiratory system

Medium

Immune system and malignant disease

Medium

Blood and nutrition

Medium

Musculoskeletal system

Low

Eye

Low

Ear, nose, and oropharynx

Low

Skin

Low

Vaccines

Low

Anaesthesia

Low

 

High-risk drugs

Each assessment is likely to include at least one question on each of the following drugs or drug groups:

  • antibiotics
  • anticoagulants
  • antihypertensives
  • chemotherapy
  • insulins
  • antidiabetic drugs
  • drugs with a narrow therapeutic index
  • non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
  • methotrexate
  • opiates
  • parenteral drugs
  • valproate

Paediatrics

Around 20 per cent of questions in the assessment will relate to paediatric patients.

Calculations

Each assessment is likely to include at least one calculation question involving each of the following in part 1:

  • doses and dose regimens
  • dosage and unit conversions
  • estimations of kidney function
  • displacement volumes and values
  • concentrations (e.g. expressed as w/v, % or 1 in x)
  • dilutions
  • molecular weight
  • using provided formulae
  • infusion rates
  • pharmacokinetics
  • health economics
  • quantities to supply

Some questions in part 2 will require some calculation.

Additional resources
Additional resources are provided for up to 25% of questions in part 1 and part 2 of the registration assessment. Examples of additional resources include photographs and dosing information.