Should You Pay for a DPP? Who Should Really Foot the Bill
Should you pay for a DPP? It’s something I’ve thought about a lot — and my honest answer is that a good DPP absolutely deserves to be paid, but the person writing the cheque probably shouldn’t be you. Here’s why, and what to do if you’re stuck finding one.
The short version
- By convention, a real service is paid for — and proper DPP assessment and mentoring is a real service.
- The real question is who pays: you, or the state?
- My view: the state should reimburse DPPs. Wales already pays ~£3,000–£4,000.
- Some English ICBs are reportedly considering reimbursement — check what’s available to you.
- Pharmacists qualifying from 2026 are prescribers at registration — it’s the earlier cohort who need a DPP.
This is the written companion to my short video on the same question — you can watch it on TikTok here. And if you haven’t yet, it pairs with my deeper guide on how to find a DPP in 2026.
First, why would a DPP cost anything at all?
Let’s start with the principle. I’ll be honest — philosophically I’m not even sure why we do so much for money; you can’t eat it, and we all leave this world with nothing. But paying for a service is simply convention, and it’s a fair one. Universities are paid to teach and train. You’re paid to work in a pharmacy. A taxi driver is paid for the journey. When someone provides a service, they’re paid for it.
So if a person is offering genuine tutoring and mentoring — and doing it properly, meaning they understand the assessments involved, they know what’s actually required to be a Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP), and they know how to assess you against the competency framework — then by convention, yes, they should be paid. That part I don’t really argue with.
Supervising and assessing a future prescriber benefits the whole health system — not just the trainee. So should the cost really fall on the individual?
Who should actually pay — you, or the state?
This is the heart of it. Should the bill fall on you as the individual, or on the state? My view is clear: I think the state should reimburse DPPs. Training the next generation of prescribers is a public good, and the people doing that assessment and mentoring properly should be funded to do it.
And it isn’t a fantasy — it already happens in places. Wales reimburses on the order of £3,000–£4,000. More recently, someone got in touch to tell me that certain local Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in England are considering it too. The direction of travel is towards funding, even if it isn’t universal yet. The key point for every DPP to understand: you should be reimbursed for assessing and mentoring — the actual work — not simply for holding the title of DPP.
If you have to pay — make it count
In an ideal world the state picks this up. In the real world, where no funding is in place, the cost often still lands on the individual or their employer. If that’s you, my advice is simple: don’t pay for the cheapest thing — pay for the thing done properly. A DPP relationship with real assessment against the competency framework, genuine mentoring and a support network around you is worth having. Skimp on it and you’ll likely feel it later — buy cheap, buy twice.
And reframe the spend while you’re at it. People happily drop money on the newest phone and the latest gadgets. If that money has to be spent somewhere, why not put it into education that expands your scope of practice and moves your career forward? Few investments compound the way your own competence does.
Struggling to find a DPP? Do this first
Before you pay anyone, work your network — it’s free and often faster than you’d think:
- Start with friends, family and colleagues — ask who they know who prescribes and could supervise.
- Use LinkedIn — reach out to prescribers in your area and specialty; a warm ask goes a long way.
- Still stuck? Then look at organised support — MEDLRN can help. There is a fee, but if you can access funding, use it — and either way, insist the training is done properly with a real support network.
For the full step-by-step, see my in-depth guide: how to find a DPP in 2026.
| Who pays? | Reality | My take |
|---|---|---|
| The individual | Common where no funding exists. | Understandable, but not how it should be. |
| The employer | Sometimes covered as development. | Fair — worth asking before you self-fund. |
| The state | Wales ~£3–4k; some ICBs considering. | Where it should sit — it’s a public good. |
How I can help
If you’re trying to secure a DPP, develop your clinical skills, or set up a private clinic or consultancy, that’s the work I do. I can help you access a DPP, arrange training that’s done properly, and build the governance around it. (You might also find my writing on demonstrating clinical competence and the GPhC fitness-to-practise process useful.)
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to pay for a DPP?
There’s no universal rule, but by convention a professional who provides a real service is paid for it — and a DPP who genuinely assesses and mentors you, understands the assessments required and knows how to assess you against the competency framework is doing exactly that. So it’s reasonable that they’re paid. The better question is who should pay: the individual, or the state.
Who should pay for a DPP — you or the state?
In my view the state should reimburse DPPs, because supervising and assessing a trainee prescriber benefits the whole system. It already happens in places — Wales reimburses on the order of £3,000–£4,000, and some English ICBs are reportedly considering it — but it isn’t universal, so in many cases the individual still pays. Check what funding your employer, ICB or nation offers first.
Do pharmacists qualifying in 2026 need a DPP?
No. Pharmacists qualifying from 2026 register as independent prescribers at the point of registration, so they don’t need to find a DPP separately. It’s pharmacists who qualified before that change who need a DPP to complete an independent prescribing course — part of why the funding question matters so much for that group.
How much does a DPP cost?
It varies. In Wales, DPPs are reimbursed on the order of £3,000–£4,000, and some English ICBs are considering reimbursement, so the trainee may not pay directly. Where no funding is in place, the cost is often met by the individual or employer. If you do pay, pay for it done properly — buy cheap, buy twice.
Is it worth paying for a DPP?
If the support is done properly — genuine assessment against the competency framework, real mentoring and a support network — then yes, it can be money well spent. People happily invest in the newest phone; investing in education that advances your scope of practice is at least as worthwhile. Just avoid the cheapest option for its own sake.
Comments
Do you think the state should pay for DPPs — or should it stay with the individual? I’d genuinely like your thoughts. Leave a comment below; I read them all.