Preparing physician associates to prescribe: evidence, educational frameworks and pathways

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pharmacology
• Healthcare Policy

Background:

• Physician associates (PAs) in the UK, numbering approximately 2,850, currently lack prescribing rights due to absent statutory regulation and legislation.
• Despite not prescribing, PAs need robust pharmacology knowledge for safe patient management, which is expected to be covered in core PA programs.
• The Department of Health and Social Care is introducing statutory regulation for Medical Associate Professionals (MAPs), including PAs, under the General Medical Council.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the current delivery of pharmacology education within UK PA programs.
• To evaluate the adequacy of training and assessment methods for preparing PAs for potential prescribing rights.
• To compare UK PA pharmacology training with international standards (USA), independent prescribing courses (V300), and prescribing safety assessments.

Main Methods:

• Exploration of current pharmacology curriculum delivery in UK PA programs.
• Evaluation of training and assessment standards against potential prescribing requirements.
• Comparative analysis with USA PA programs, V300 Independent/Supplementary Prescribing courses, and the Prescribing Safety Assessment.

Main Results:

• Analysis of current UK PA programs' pharmacology content and assessment strategies.
• Identification of potential gaps in current training concerning preparation for prescribing.
• Benchmarking against established prescribing education and assessment frameworks.

Conclusions:

• UK PA programs' capacity to prepare students for future prescribing rights requires thorough evaluation.
• The upcoming regulation necessitates a review and potential enhancement of pharmacology curricula and assessment within PA programs.
• Comparative analysis provides insights into best practices for developing robust prescribing education for PAs.