Key Summary
- Pharmacy students can avail travel and accommodation expenses for clinical placements, but cannot access Training Grant, Parental Support, and an Exceptional Support Fund.
- The letter wants pharmacy students to have equitable access to the training and development support provided to other healthcare professions.
- Funding for pharmacy students varies with devolved policy across England, Scotland and Wales.
The Royal College of Pharmacy (RCPharm) in England has joined hands with the British Pharmaceutical Students' Association (BPSA) and Pharmacy Schools Council to call on the Government to expand pharmacy student access to financial support, which is currently available to other health professions.
Writing jointly to health minister Karin Smyth, the letter calls for pharmacy students to have equal access to all elements of the Learning Support Fund, building on the current offer of travel and accommodation expenses for clinical placements.
The other aspects include Training Grant, Parental Support, and an Exceptional Support Fund.
"Alongside removing unjust barriers to choosing pharmacy, this would give students the flexibility to engage with wider professional development opportunities to further enhance their clinical skills," the letter stated.
With the NHS estimating that education and training places for pharmacists need to grow by 31–55 percent to meet the demand for pharmacy services, and with pharmacists playing a more clinical role in the health service, the letter highlights the need for pharmacy students to have equitable access to the training and development support provided to other healthcare professions.
Funding for pharmacy students varies with devolved policy across England, Scotland and Wales.
An online petition calling on the Government to fully include pharmacy students in the Learning Support Fund has so far generated over 6,000 signatures and closes on 2 June.
The petition stated, "While pharmacy students now have access to the NHS travel reimbursement fund, we believe this does not address the wider financial struggles they face.
"The MPharm degree is highly intensive and can leave little time for paid work. Extending the NHS Learning Support Fund could help reduce hardship, support wellbeing, and ensure students can focus on becoming the next generation of NHS pharmacists."
Following an earlier joint letter to the previous Government in September 2023, the then Royal Pharmaceutical Society called for action on the Learning Support Fund in its evidence to the Health and Social Care Select Committee’s inquiry into pharmacy.
RCPharm England chair Mahendra Patel said, “The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan highlights the need to boost training places to meet growing demand for pharmacy services. As we ask pharmacists to do more, this must be backed by enhanced and equitable support for education and professional development.
"With continued pressures on the NHS, pharmacy students should not face unjust financial barriers at the very start of their career, if we are to make the most of all the health professions to support patient care.”
BPSA president Martina Aikon said, “In a cost-of-living crisis, thousands of pharmacy students face financial pressures and are often unable to access opportunities and resources afforded to other healthcare professions.
"As an Association, we believe full inclusion in the Learning Support Fund is imperative in providing equitable support for MPharm students. As the clinical and prescribing responsibilities of pharmacists continue to grow, it is only fair that pharmacy students have access to the additional support they deserve.”
Pharmacy Schools Council Chair Prof Barrie Kellam said, "Pharmacy education has shifted decisively towards enhanced frontline clinical training, yet funding remains behind other health professions.
"While this year’s progress is welcome, it remains insufficient. Patient safety depends on pharmacists trained in clinical decision-making and the scientific understanding of medicines that underpins safe prescribing and use. Policymakers must therefore fund these essential elements to protect patients and secure our future workforce.”
