Pharmacist and Technician Training
This programme has been extended until March 2025.
Community pharmacy technician: advancing your role
About the programme: Community pharmacy technician: advancing your role is delivered by the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) and is for eligible pharmacy technicians working in community pharmacy across all regions in England.
Duration and delivery mode: This is a 4-month self-directed e-course consisting of six modules, with approximately 4-6 hours of learning per week. The training programme is delivered online and also includes one face to face workshop on clinical assessment skills, facilitated by CPPE.
Who can apply: You will need to follow the CPPE application process and confirm that you:
- are a registered community pharmacy technician
- have access to a pharmacist or other health care professional in practice who is able to observe and sign off your clinical assessment skills practice
- will provide the postcode of your place of work
- will agree to attend one of the mandatory clinical assessment skills face-to-face workshops and one online peer reflection workshop to guarantee your place and gain access to the e-course.
To register and find out more about the programme visit the CPPE website.
To find out more about the Pharmacy Integration Programme, visit the Health Education England website.
The ACPT programme is a 3-12-month training and development programme available to pharmacy technicians, with employer support. The course is designed to support pharmacy technicians in meeting a range of competencies during their training in order to deliver safe and effective patient care.
The aim of the programme is to train and assess pharmacy technicians to perform the final accuracy check of dispensed items on prescriptions that have been clinically screened/approved by a pharmacist.
Funding is currently not available for these places.
Apply for the CPPE Accuracy checking pharmacy technician programme
NHS England (NHSE) has introduced the Newly Qualified Pharmacist pathway, a programme for newly qualified pharmacists, designed to bridge the gap between initial education and post-registration development. More on CPE here.
Further Resources: HEE Newly Qualified Pharmacist Pathway
NHS Briefing for employers and key stakeholders NHSE-NQPh-Pathway-Employer-key-stakeholder-briefing-August-2023
Preparing to train as an independent prescriber on the CPPE website: www.cppe.ac.uk/career/preparingtotrainip.
Its aim is to help pharmacists prepare an application and prepare themselves for prescribing training by helping them to understand what it means to be a prescriber, considerations when choosing a course, how they can demonstrate relevant knowledge and skills and plan for the study and supervised practice requirements of the course.
Independent Prescribing courses for pharmacists in 2024/25: Applications now open (August 2024)
The ability to independently prescribe is crucial for pharmacists delivering care across the NHS. This training enables pharmacists to support patients from diagnosis to prescribing, and to provide advice and follow-up – while also helping them to feel confident and prepared for the new challenges of their role.
Fully using the clinical skills and capabilities of community pharmacists, supported by significant investment in training, is part of a concerted effort across the health system to improve access to care in local communities and address health inequalities.
We are pleased to announce that applications for independent prescribing courses for Pharmacists are now open. Courses are available until end March 2025, with several universities offering multiple dates for cohort intakes. Start dates will depend on the university provider.
We encourage pharmacists from across sectors, including community pharmacy and locums, to seize this opportunity.
Pharmacists who meet the eligibility criteria will be able to apply for one of the places on independent prescribing courses at a variety of universities across England:
- Community pharmacists (including locum pharmacists); Pharmacists employed in General Practice (who are not eligible for, or enrolled on, the Primary Care Pharmacy Education Programme (PCPEP) and those who are working to provide primary care services (e.g. working in primary care) who are not employed in ARRS roles); and Health and Justice pharmacists
- Pharmacists enrolled on CPPE’s Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway (PCPEP) and who meet the PCPEP criteria to enrol on an independent prescribing course
- Pharmacists working in an NHS Hospital Trust or Mental Health Trust (NHS managed sector); pharmacists working in an integrated care board (ICB), previously CCG pharmacists
Eligible pharmacists can apply to universities listed on the NHS England website.
They will need to demonstrate (as a minimum):
- The support of an identified designated prescribing practitioner (DPP).
- An appropriate practice-based learning environment in a prescribing setting that can offer appropriate clinical support.
- Evidence that you meet the course provider eligibility criteria (applicants will be subject to their chosen university’s enrolment processes).
- Commitment to use the skill within your area of competence and expertise, for the delivery of NHS clinical services as they emerge.
If you would like to know more about the General Pharmaceutical Council’s eligibility criteria for undertaking an independent prescribing course, please visit the GPhC website.
Eligible pharmacists may apply only to those universities as listed on the NHS England website. Please note: the available universities differ depending on the sector you work in.
As part of the application process, all learners will need to assure their chosen university that they meet the course requirements.
Course length and the number of face-to-face days required vary between universities. Please check the individual university webpages for further information on course format.
Funding
Independent Prescribing training is available to pharmacists who meet the eligibility criteria. Tuition fees are fully funded by NHS England. Pharmacists that are successful in applying to one of the approved universities will be allocated a fully funded place directly by the university. They do not need to apply to NHS England for funding separately.
Further information
Please visit the NHS England website to find out more about this crucial offer, including eligibility criteria, list of approved universities and frequently asked questions.
For any further enquiries, please contact england.pharmacyteam@nhs.net
NHS England has published information on its Independent Prescribing Pathfinder programme for community pharmacy, having sent a letter to all integrated care boards (ICBs) on this topic.
Information on a new Independent Prescribing webpage describes how the programme of pilot sites will operate. The central aim is to support and test different prescribing models to help inform and develop the framework for the commissioning of independent prescribing as part of clinical services in community pharmacy.
The scope for pathfinder sites will be determined by ICBs and the letter from NHS England follows the expression of interest submissions made in January 2023. NHS England plans to include up to 210 community pharmacy sites across the 42 ICBs in the Pathfinder programme so that each ICB can participate.
ICBs will work with community pharmacy teams to identify those that will join the programme. It will also involve collaboration with other NHS bodies, local authorities and community organisations involved in delivering joined up care.
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Oriel Registration: Support sessions for Pharmacy Foundation Training 25-26
National Foundation Trainee Pharmacist Recruitment
Oriel – National Foundation Trainee Pharmacist Recruitment Scheme 2024 – Invitation to Participate
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Changes to Foundation Trainee Pharmacists Summary
What do I need to know? How do I prepare? (link via HEE)
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Recruiting foundation trainee pharmacists in 2024 (2025 intake)
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Pharmacist Support Oriel Guidance
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Designated Supervisor (DS), Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) and Educational Supervisor (ES) Training
ProPharmace DPP and ES Programmes
ProPharmace DPP Programme Flyer
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Employers intending to host a trainee pharmacist in 2026/27 must register their programme(s) in the National Recruitment Scheme (Oriel) by early March 2025. Currently, all programmes are expected to include a multi-sector rotation. Although NHS England remains fully committed to implementing multi-sector rotations for all trainees and strongly supports continued progress toward this goal, some areas may require a phased approach, with full implementation anticipated by the 2027/28 cohort.
The goal remains that by March 2025, the employer national recruitment deadline, most programmes will be developed to include multi-sector rotations. However, single sector programmes submitted to the National Recruitment Scheme will still be eligible for the 2026/27 recruitment cycle. From March 2026 onwards, single-sector programmes will not be accepted for training programmes starting in 2027.
As many of you are aware the NHS England is collaborating with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) to offer a pharmacy-specific professional development pathway for advanced pharmacist practice that recognises the quality assurance of the advanced practice education, training, and experience of pharmacists practicing as advanced practitioners. Successful completion of the pathway, assured through the RPS Core Advanced Pharmacist Curriculum assessment, results in pharmacists being recognised by the RPS as an advanced pharmacist, along with attaining the Centre for Advancing Practice’s ‘Advanced’ digital badge, demonstrating the quality assurance of their advanced practice preparation to patients, families, carers, and other healthcare professionals.
Accordingly, prospective pharmacist applicants for the Centre’s ePortfolio (supported) Route have the opportunity for their applications to be assessed and supported by RPS working in collaboration with the Centre for Advancing Practice, and the education partner of the RPS, the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE). This collaborative approach enables pharmacists working in advanced practice role to gain correspondent recognition with both the RPS and Centre that they are working at an advanced level of practice without needing to complete two separate ePortfolio processes, and this dual recognition route is fully funded by the Centre for Advancing Practice.
The Centre for Advancing Practice and the RPS has the opportunity for more pharmacists to participate in this collaborative ePortfolio process to gain correspondent recognition with the RPS as an advanced pharmacist and to gain the Centre’s ‘Advanced’ digital badge – if you are a pharmacist working in advanced practice role who is interested in this recognition activity you will firstly need to complete the Centre’s Expression of Interest form, and then complete the registration form for CPPE, the education partner of the RPS.
If you have any questions about this ePortfolio process for pharmacists, please contact the Centre via: england.advancedpractice@nhs.net
