Pre-reg Trainee: FAQs

Why is the PRDP being introduced?

Across England, Scotland and Wales, the GPhC Registration assessment typically has a pass rate ranging from approximately 50-90%. From June 2021, Pre-registration trainees in N. Ireland (NI) will also undertake this assessment to allow them to register as a pharmacist. The Department of Health (DoH) wish to ensure a high success rate for NI Pre-registration trainees in this Common Registration Assessment in June 2021 to ensure workforce continuity. DoH have therefore invested in the PRDP to support Pre-registration trainees preparing for this assessment.

Has the PRDP been ‘tried and tested’ previously?

The PRDP consists of two elements:

1. mandatory training that must be undertaken to fulfil registration requirements with the Pharmaceutical Society of N. Ireland (PSNI)
2. additional training to support Pre-registration trainees to prepare for the Common Registration Assessment. This element of the programme has been purchased from Green Light Campus (GLC), an established provider of Pre-registration training based in London. GLC have been delivering this training programme for a number of years and typically have a pass rate ranging from 80-90%. NICPLD are working collaboratively with GLC to deliver the programme locally to Pre-registration trainees within NI.

Is the PRDP compulsory?

No, the programme is not compulsory, however certain elements (as shown in the PRDP brochure) are mandatory and must be completed during the course of the Pre-registration training year. The PRDP has been endorsed by the DoH (NI) and the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer with participation in the programme encouraged. Experience in Great Britain shows that those engaging with this type of programme have a higher success rate in the Registration Assessment.

How much does the PRDP cost?

The PRDP has been funded by the DoH (NI) and is therefore available to all Pre-registration trainees free of charge.

What is the time commitment needed for the PRDP?

The PRDP consists of a range of different elements; pre-requisites, recorded lectures, webinars / workshops, eLearning courses and a mock exam. We estimate that you should devote 10-15 hours per month for study, and you will be out of the workplace to attend webinars / workshops for a total of seven days between August 2020 and May 2021. Thus, before committing to the programme it is important that you discuss it with your Pre-registration tutor and they are supportive of your participation.

How do I register for the programme?

You must first register for the website using a unique identifier number, which you will receive via email from PSNI. Having registered, you need only login to the website using your email and password to access resources. Following registration, go to the Pre-registration hub and you will see options for ‘Webinar registration’ and ‘Workshop registration’.

The PRDP will be delivered simultaneously across four groups, each consisting of approximately 35 trainees. Individuals will stay in the same group for the duration of the programme. Switching between groups will only be permitted in exceptional circumstances and only with permission from the Pre-registration Lead. You can register for one of the four groups by clicking on the ‘Webinar registration’ link.

In addition, you should also register to attend the face-to-face workshop sessions; ‘Law and ethics’ and ‘First Aid’. To do so, click on the ‘Workshop registration’ link within the Pre-registration hub. These workshops are offered on a range of dates to facilitate your attendance. Please note that you need only attend one First Aid workshop in either February OR April.

When you apply online for a group or a workshop you will see a place counter which shows you the number of places remaining in that group or workshop. If the place counter shows zero places remaining for the option selected, you should select another available option.

Before registering for the groups or the workshops, please consult with your Pre-registration tutor to determine what dates best suit for you to be out of the pharmacy and engaged in learning activities.

What are pre-requisites?

Pre-requisites are pieces of work that must be completed before a webinar or workshop session. These will include activities such as practice calculations, reading and reviewing SPCs and sections of the BNF, viewing clinical summary videos and answering MCQs. All of the pre-requisite materials have been developed to focus your preparation for the Common Registration Assessment. Typically, it will take you 10-15 hours to complete the pre-requisite material each month.

How do I access the pre-requisites?

Approximately four weeks before a webinar/workshop, NICPLD will upload the pre-requisite resources to the Pre-registration hub. They can be accessed by clicking on the appropriate month. The resources will be available for you to download.

What are recorded lectures and how do I access them?

There are four mandatory recorded lectures that must be completed during the course of your Pre-registration training year. They are not interactive and primarily facilitate the transfer of knowledge from the expert tutor. You can watch each lecture in its entirety or alternatively, if you need to leave midway through, you can resume watching it at the place you left. All can be accessed online at the Pre-registration hub. The lectures take 1-2 hours to view and each has a specified completion date by which it must be completed. The purpose of the completion date is to help you pace your learning throughout the year.

What are webinars and workshops and how do they differ?

As a result of social distancing restrictions, elements of the PRDP have had to be modified to allow delivery via remote learning. Webinars are interactive online sessions delivered via Zoom on the dates shown in the PRDP brochure. Morning webinars will run from 10am – 12 noon with afternoon webinars running from 2 pm – 4pm. All interactive training delivered in 2020 will be delivered in this format. It is our hope that we will be able to provide face-to-face workshops from January 2021 onwards. There are a total of seven webinars / workshops to attend during the course of the PRDP. We will be following local guidance in relation to infection control measures and will amend our plans if required at any point in time.

How will the workshops run?

From January 2021, it is hoped that we will be able to deliver face-to-face workshops (following government regulations at the time). All face-to-face workshops will run from 9.30am – 5.00pm. The venues for these workshops have yet to be confirmed and you will be notified in due course. Workshop venues are expected to be in the Belfast area. Pre-registration trainees undertaking the PRDP must attend all of the relevant workshops for the entire duration of the workshop. If there are any issues relating to workshop attendance, please contact NICPLD immediately at nicpld@qub.ac.uk.

How do I join the webinar sessions?

The Pre-registration hub will contain a link for joining the interactive webinar session. To join, you should download zoom.us (https://zoom.us/download) to your computer or smart device and on clicking on the link, you will automatically join the session. On first joining, you will be in a waiting room where you can observe the etiquette for the webinar before the session begins.

Why are the webinars important?

These interactive sessions are deigned to consolidate the learning contained within the Pre-requisite material and to check your understanding of those resources. Expert facilitators will lead these sessions and will encourage you to apply your learning from the pre-requisite work to a range of cases. Each session will also help you to relate your learning to the Common Registration Assessment Framework and typical questions that may arise in the exam. All sessions will be interactive and you are encouraged to engage with this interactivity to optimise your learning.

Where should I be when taking part in the webinar sessions?

On the dates that you have webinars, you will be expected to work in an environment conducive to learning. That day should be considered as a development day and you should be out of the workplace and able to devote the entire day to the PRDP ie. completing pre-requisites, undertaking eLearning and engaging with the webinar. As PRDP development days are work days for which you are being paid, you are expected to attend all of the webinar sessions, remain online for the duration of each session and to use the rest of the day to engage in PRDP activities.

What are eLearning courses?

All of the eLearning courses within the PRDP have been identified as mandatory courses by the PSNI. All can be accessed online at the Pre-registration hub. These courses are online courses that you can complete at home. There are a total of nine mandatory eLearning courses which range in terms of length; some may take one hour to complete whilst others may take longer. Please note that you do not have to undertake this learning in one sitting as you may leave an eLearning course and return to it at a later stage to complete. On finishing a course, you must complete the associated online MCQs. To pass the assessment, you must score at least 70% to be accredited the hours of learning and you are allowed a maximum of TWO attempts to achieve the 70% pass rate. All of the mandatory eLearning courses have a specified completion date by which they must be completed. The purpose of the completion dates is to help you pace your learning throughout the year.

What is the mock exam?

The mock exam will take place in May 2021 to reinforce the structure and format of the Common Registration Assessment and to help you to gauge your progress with your knowledge development. The mock exam will be undertaken under exam conditions, thus preparing you for the real assessment in June 2021.

At the end of the PRDP, will I be ready for the Common Registration Assessment?

Completion of all aspects of the PRDP will help you prepare for the Common Registration Assessment.  As you are allowed only three attempts to pass the Common Registration Assessment, it is important that you only sit the assessment if you feel you are ready.   A number of factors may influence this decision, including feedback from your Pre-registration tutor and your performance in the mock exam.

What if I have issues/questions relating to any aspect of the PRDP programme?

If you require any further information, help or assistance in relation to the PRDP programme, please contact nicpld@qub.ac.uk. A member of staff will respond to your query as quickly as possible.