Pharmacy Training
Community Pharmacy Technician: advancing your role
NHS England are pleased to announce a new, fully funded, training programme that will help pharmacy technicians develop the skills and confidence to deliver effective clinical services in community pharmacy. This is to ensure that they have the right post-registration training to enable confident, safe working practices and career development.
Launching in September, up to 840 pharmacy technicians will be able to apply for the training.
Sign up now for Community pharmacy technician: advancing your role, which will be delivered by CPPE.
About the programme: Community pharmacy technician: advancing your role will be 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.
The programme launches on 28 September and registration is open now. (August 2023)
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.
Applications are now open; with up to 20 funded places available per month and 60 funded places available in total until March 2024.
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 is scheduled to launch on 12 September and you can find information about it on the CPPE website: www.cppe.ac.uk/career/preparingtotrainip.
There’s a waiting list available for people to register their interest in advance of the launch date.
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.
Please contact Hayley Berry (Hayley.Berry@cppe.ac.uk) or Jo Lane (joanne.lane@cppe.ac.uk) if you have any questions.
NHS England has, published information on its Independent Prescribing Pathfinder programme for community pharmacy, having this week 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.
A recording that reflects the session hosted at the Pharmacy Show 2023 is available here. It focuses on the changes being implemented for Pharmacist Foundation Training, and the key milestones as we all progress to 2025/26 when pharmacy graduates will be prescribers upon registration.
The recording will help understand what this means for current pharmacy professionals, employers and those who work with trainees, including the support available to prepare for the change.
If you would like the Pharmacy team to help you with the implementation, please contact them on england.foundationpharmacy.midlands@nhs.net.
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The timeframes for the recruitment of the 2025/26 foundation pharmacists is approaching and the detail for the Terms of Participation are now available, this also complements the recent announcement on the harmonisation of funding and detail available here.
Regional Training Leads for C&W and H&W
Jennifer Natalie: jennifernatalie.williams@nhs.net
Rose Atkins: rose.atkins@nhs.net
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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)
YouTube Narrated Presentation (NHS) – Summary version
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Recruiting foundation trainee pharmacists in 2024 (2025 intake)
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Designated Supervisor (DS), Designated Prescribing Practitioner (DPP) and Educational Supervisor (ES) Training
ProPharmace DPP and ES Programmes
NHS England Workforce, Training and Education (WT&E) directorate are offering funding to support the training of pre-registration trainee pharmacy technicians (PTPTs) on a multi-sector or single sector community pharmacy integrated training programme.
Funding to support expansion of pharmacy technician workforce 2023-24 MIDLANDS
PTPT Workforce Expansion Guidance Midlands 2023_
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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
We are delighted to open applications for the first national Chief Pharmaceutical Officer Pharmacy Technician Fellowship, hosted by NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service (NHS SPS).
Applications are encouraged from experienced pharmacy technicians from any sector of healthcare. We are looking for an individual who is ready to work in a new way, providing professional leadership and advice where pharmacy technicians can add value to national healthcare priorities aligned to the SPS’s areas of expertise.
The successful applicant will be supported with new opportunities and to develop themselves as a strategic leader.
More information about the role and application process can be found here: Jobs at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (liverpoolft.nhs.uk). Hybrid working will be supported and there is an expectation for some travel due to the post’s national focus.
Applications close at 9am on 9 November and interviews will take place in person in London on 13 December.
Please do share this great opportunity with your networks.
Liz Fidler
Senior Professional Advisor Pharmacy Technician Practice
Office of the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer
Email: england.cpho-office@nhs.net
Community pharmacists can now sign up for 1 or more Clinical Examination Skills modules including ENT, paediatrics, cardiology and dermatology.
New, fully funded, flexible training for community pharmacists to help expand your clinical skills and improve patient care. Designed to be flexible, the training programme can be tailored to individuals’ skills, experience and learning requirements.
With 1,000+ places for Clinical Examination Skills face-to-face sessions available. These optional, regional events will give community pharmacists the chance to practice new procedures and techniques in real-life scenarios. The course is designed to increase skills and confidence in wider clinical care covering areas such as history taking, clinical assessment and safety netting.
This training offers a step towards Independent Prescribing and an opportunity to gain new specialist skills to increase your NHS role or to expand and refresh your diagnostic and consultation skills if you’re already an IP.
Visit https://www.cliniskills.com/community-pharmacists/ for more information and to sign up.
