Pharmacists face training and support challenges across regions

At a recent regional committee meeting, pressing issues faced by pharmacists across the UK were highlighted as members prepared for the upcoming National Executive Committee meetings, organised by the PDA

Pharmacists in the North and South East are encountering significant challenges related to training and service provision, as reported in recent regional committee meeting.

The meeting saw members of the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) from across the four regions come together to discuss worries including Pharmacy First and locum rates.

In the North, pharmacists have raised concerns about the Pharmacy First Service, focusing on the training required for the increasing number of services.

They also reported stock shortages and an increase in patient abuse, which has added to their workload.

The delay in the community pharmacy contract, due to the recent General Election, has worsened funding issues.

In the hospital sector, financial cuts in several NHS trusts have led to a three-month recruitment freeze, impacting staffing levels.

Pharmacists have expressed frustration that they were not included in the recruitment freeze exceptions for frontline staff.

Additionally, hospital pharmacists are being asked to serve as Designated Prescribing Practitioners (DPPs) to support community pharmacists with Independent Prescribing (IP) courses, raising concerns about how to balance these duties with existing responsibilities.

During the meeting, some Locum pharmacists in the North also reported a decrease in rates offered by employers.

While, community pharmacists in the South East region highlighted a lack of support for IP training, with companies requiring them to find their own DPPs, often at a personal cost.

They said that in primary care, opportunities for role expansion are currently limited, with each practice setting its own scope.

Sharing the difficulties faced by in community, Locum pharmacists told the PDA that they faced difficulties with the Pharmacy First Service due to time constraints, capacity issues, and limited training access, leading to cancellations of locum bookings.

The PDA has asked the members needing support with issues at their workplace to "contact the PDA Member Support Centre, while wider concerns about developments or trends in pharmacy can be shared with the local Regional Committee".