HEE announces new NHS-funded course on clinical skills for community pharmacists

A new NHS-funded training course on clinical examination skills has been announced by Health Education England (HEE) for 10,000 community pharmacists.

The training will be provided by CliniSkills and be coordinated by HEE with the Pharmacy Integration Programme at NHS England.

With pre-registration now open to all community pharmacists, the programme will be available from 17th April 2023 and will until March 2024.

It will be delivered online, with optional face-to-face attendance for pharmacists who would find this beneficial.

Pharmacists will be required to complete a module on history taking and identification of serious conditions and can then choose from four optional modules, which cover the following themes: dermatology; cardiology; paediatrics; and ear, nose and throat.

The training is designed to be complementary to the independent prescribing training and can be completed prior to or after an independent prescribing training course. It is open to all community pharmacists including those that work part time and locums.

Helga Mangion, Policy Manager at the NPA said: “We naturally welcome the expansion of clinical skills training for community pharmacists that will support the provision of holistic services through community pharmacy.

“This kind of training helps to build on the bedrock of how the sector is caring for patients, addressing health inequalities and improving lives.

“As a major provider of learning and development ourselves, we know there is a direct line from investment in skills to improved retention and attraction to the role of the pharmacist.”