How simulation training can complement CPPE PCPEP without duplicating it
Medicine in Practice · 26 August 2026
commissioning CPPE PCPEP primary care pharmacy simulation ARRS
When an ICB, PCN or practice considers extra training for a primary care pharmacy team, the first procurement question should be: are we filling a genuine implementation or practice gap, or paying twice for the same education? CPPE's Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway (PCPEP) is NHS England-commissioned for eligible pharmacy professionals in patient-facing primary-care roles. Supplementary simulation should complement that route, not claim to replace it.
The short answer
- CPPE PCPEP: the nationally commissioned education pathway for eligible roles.
- Employer induction: local systems, policies, people, services, scope and escalation.
- Supervision and workplace assessment: real-case discussion, observation and competence decisions.
- Supplementary simulation: repeatable practice in fictional records, immediate feedback and comparable online learning evidence.
What CPPE PCPEP does
CPPE describes PCPEP as supporting pharmacy professionals working in primary care to develop the skills and behaviours required for patient-facing roles. The pathway is nationally commissioned, has its own eligibility and structure, and is refreshed over time. Employers should check the current CPPE information and the current Network Contract DES requirements rather than relying on an old summary.
What local induction and supervision do
No national or online pathway can teach the exact practice workflow, formulary, local service, escalation route or team relationship. Those belong to the employer. Supervisors also see real workplace performance and remain responsible for observation, feedback, agreed scope and competence decisions.
What fictional simulation adds
Simulation creates a safe place to repeat the work: action a discharge letter, interpret results, identify high-risk-medicine issues, write a record, speak to a fictional patient and decide when to escalate. The learner receives immediate structured feedback, and the same scenario can be used across a cohort. That can help an organisation identify patterns in assessed learning before deciding what support to provide locally.
Simulation evidence is still not workplace competence. A person may perform well in a fictional case and need observation in the real setting; another may need reasonable adjustments that affect how online evidence is interpreted.
A practical no-duplication map
| Need | Primary route | Possible supplementary use |
|---|---|---|
| Approved education pathway | CPPE or another current approved route where required | Do not substitute |
| Local systems and policy | Employer induction | Fictional workflow rehearsal after local briefing |
| Real competence and scope | Workplace supervisor and employer | Use simulated themes to focus observation |
| Repeatable safe practice | Fictional simulation | Link to pathway and supervision goals |
| Cohort learning evidence | Agreed reporting plan | Aggregate platform evidence with local measures |
Questions commissioners should ask
- Which requirement is already met by CPPE or another commissioned route?
- What specific practice, implementation or evidence gap remains?
- Who owns local induction and workplace sign-off?
- How will managers use the additional evidence without treating it as competence?
- Will the pilot report adoption, learning and workplace outcomes separately?
Medicine in Practice is independent and is not CPPE, NHS England or a regulator. It offers supplementary role-based learning and fictional simulation. Explore the practice and commissioner overview, the ICB pilot route and the evaluation framework.
Sources
- CPPE: Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway
- NHS England: Network Contract DES 2026/27
- NHS England: Network Contract DES 2026/27 Part B guidance
Last reviewed 26 August 2026.