Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

BREAKING: Government announces £15.9m funding to train pharmacists and pharmacy technicians

Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are set to receive up to £15.9 million over the next four years which will help them thrive in multidisciplinary healthcare teams and enable expansion of frontline staff in primary and community care.

The funding, which is part of the Pharmacy Integration Programme allocation, will improve registered pharmacy professionals’ skills, through a range of training and development opportunities.


The programme is a part of education reform for pharmacy professionals and will allow them to identify career pathways.

Health Education England and NHS England will work in partnership to develop “a formal portfolio recognition process to identify the existing skills, training and experience gained by pharmacists working in primary care, allowing them to work more flexibly and better support GP services”, HEE said in a statement today (November 8).

The two bodies will develop training in independent prescribing for pharmacists working in community pharmacy and others in general practice.

They will also develop course accreditation processes and expand “clinical examination skills training for community pharmacists.”

Another work area includes increasing access to educational, prescribing, and clinical supervisors for pharmacy professionals working across primary care and community sectors.

Alan Ryan, director of National Transformational Programmes at HEE said these changes “will make a big difference to the pharmacy workforce and career development in primary care.

“New funded programmes will foster a range of skills and experiences to help pharmacists and pharmacy technicians thrive in multidisciplinary healthcare teams.”

Richard Cattell, deputy chief pharmaceutical officer at NHSE/I said these changes will allow pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to be “further integrated into wider healthcare delivery as part of multi-professional clinical teams in PCNs.”

Welcoming the announcement, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) chair in England Thorrun Govind said: “Access to training for independent prescribing is vital if pharmacists in England are to work routinely as part of multi-disciplinary teams across primary care to extend the provision of clinical services, especially in community pharmacy.

“To make this happen, services need to be put in place as soon as possible so that existing and future prescribers can use their qualifications to benefit patients."

She added that "opportunities for pharmacist independent prescribers to improve patient care must always be considered”, particularly when new services are commissioned.

Pharmacy teams must be supported "with the right skill mix and sufficient staff to be able to adapt to their workload and deliver the care their local population requires.”

RPS has been commissioned by HEE to develop a primary care credential which will recognise pharmacists working at an advanced practice level.

“We have already seen a growth in primary care consultant pharmacist posts and these initiatives will provide a pathway for pharmacists to develop into senior roles as well as equipping them with the clinical knowledge and skills needed to provide day to day clinical care.”

More For You

AAH Pharmaceuticals introduces 20 new electric vans to its delivery fleet

18 vans have been added to the AAH DC in Ruislip, and another 2 to their branch in Glasgow

Photo credit: AAH

AAH Pharmaceuticals adds 20 new electric vans to reduce carbon emissions

Leading pharmaceutical wholesaler AAH Pharmaceuticals Ltd has introduced 20 new electric vans to its delivery fleet, marking a significant step forward in its Carbon Reduction Plan, which is aligned to the NHS net zero targets.

Eighteen of the new electric vehicles have been deployed at the AAH distribution centre in Ruislip, with the remaining two now in operation at its Glasgow branch.

Keep ReadingShow less
Numark launches new digital consultation platform to support independent prescribers

Harry McQuillan, Chairman of Numark

Numark launches DigiPharma to empower independent prescribers

Numark has launched a new digital consultation platform, called DigiPharma, designed to support both current and future independent prescribers (IPs) in making full use of their qualifications.

The revolutionary cloud-based prescribing recording platform is now available exclusively to Numark members.

Keep ReadingShow less
Operation Subaru:

Some of the medicines seized in raids today. Credit: MHRA

12 arrested in MHRA’s biggest medicines trafficking crackdown

Twelve people have been arrested in a series of dawn raids across the West Midlands and the Northwest of England today (29 April), as part of the biggest criminal investigation ever undertaken by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) into organised medicines trafficking.

The suspects were detained on suspicion of involvement in organised crime, conspiracy to sell or supply controlled and unlicensed medicines, and money laundering.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sukhi Basra named NPA vice-chair in historic leadership update with Olivier Picard as new chair

Olivier Picard steps up as NPA chair, Basra as vice-chair

Olivier Picard named new NPA chair

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has announced Olivier Picard as the organisation’s new chair.

Picard replaces Nick Kaye whose term comes to an end this week.

Keep ReadingShow less
 RPS honours Professor Tony Avery OBE for excellence in prescribing safety and patient care

Professor Tony Avery OBE

Pic credit: RPS

Professor Tony Avery OBE awarded RPS Honorary Fellowship

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Assembly has awarded an Honorary Fellowship to Professor Tony Avery OBE in recognition of his outstanding contribution to prescribing safety and patient care.

The Honorary Fellowship is given to those who are not eligible for membership of the Society but have either attained a distinction in a particular aspect or aspects of pharmacy, made a distinctive contribution to pharmacy or the RPS, distinguished themselves in any branches of knowledge referred to in the objects of the Society or achieved eminence in public life.

Keep ReadingShow less