The NHS England has introduced a training programme for 1000 staff to broaden their community pharmacy roles, thereby improving patient access to services.
Among them, 500 pharmacy staff will be trained to supervise pharmacists during prescription training, while the remaining 500 will provide support for various
training, including pre and post-registration programmes for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
According to the NHSE, pharmacist and pharmacy technician roles are rapidly evolving due to healthcare changes and increased demand for clinical services in
community pharmacy. "There are 3,000 independent prescribing training spots available for 2023/24. Educational supervision is a crucial part of this to enable the
ongoing transformation and skills development of the growing pharmacy workforce."
The NHSE-funded training, scheduled to begin next month, will ensure that those involved in educational supervision, including Designated Supervisors (DSs),
Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician education supervisors and Designated Prescribing Practitioners (DPPs), can effectively support learners.
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has partnered with training provider Skills 4 Pharmacy to provide Level 2 and Level 3 pharmacy apprenticeships to its
members in England.
Skills 4 Pharmacy is an experienced pharmacy apprenticeship training provider dedicated to initiating and developing the careers of pharmacy support staff and
technicians. They manage the recruitment of apprentices, as well as their enrolment and training.
The apprenticeship package offers a Level 2 Apprenticeship - Pharmacy support worker and Level 3 Apprenticeship - Pharmacy technician.
Amerjit Singh, Managing Director at Skills 4 Pharmacy said: "As a member for the last 23 years it is a great honour to be able to work alongside the NPA and promote
apprenticeships.
"As contractors we are facing challenging times, however I firmly believe that apprenticeship programmes which upskill and empower our workforce are essential for our
future survival. Apprenticeships are a great way to build a strong talent pipeline and bring new skills to pharmacies.
Superdrug has announced a pay increase for newly qualified pharmacists, in a move that will see wages rise to £50,000 - ensuring that Superdrug Pharmacists
continue to receive the strongest renumeration package on the high street today.
Superdrug is also enhancing its patient experience and operational structure, with the introduction of a new role of Pharmacy Team Leader to selected pharmacy stores.
Pharmacy Team Leaders will be dispenser trained and provide a clear line of accountability for day-to-day dispensary activity including adhering to legal and
clinical frameworks whilst supporting, coaching, and developing a high-performing pharmacy team.
The role also allows Superdrug to offer a clear line of progression for talented Pharmacy Dispensers and Technicians who want to do more in their career and recognises
the valuable contribution Pharmacy Dispensers & Technicians play in community pharmacy.
In addition, the appointment of two new Heads of Pharmacy Operations sees the high street retailer driving and improving Superdrug's pharmacy performance to offer the
best possible care for patients. Craig Watt, Pharmacist and previously Area Manager, has been appointed to Head of Pharmacy Operations North and will be responsible
for the operation of Superdrug's central distribution hub serving its e-pharmacy and Online Dr team.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has launched a new position paper on 'How pharmacy can do more to tackle health inequalities'.
The RPS paper aims to help pharmacists and pharmacy teams to take action against health inequalities. It is designed to provide a reference source for pharmacy
teams to use over time to continually improve services.
RPS said: "Like all health services, these pharmacy services do not always reach everyone. Often it is people who are suffering the greatest inequalities that find
it most difficult to access the services that are currently available. This can be for a large number of reasons including poverty, education, being part of a group
vulnerable to exclusion, language and power."
Therefore, the RPS paper focuses not on "what" services pharmacy provides but "how" they are provided, with an aim of making them more accessible for people who are
currently struggling.
Claire Anderson, President of Royal Pharmaceutical Society said: "It's fantastic that pharmacy teams in every sector of pharmacy across Great Britain are providing
care that can improve health inequalities, with many patients able to access pharmacy services very easily. Brilliant examples of this shine through in the paper.
The Health and Social Care Committee (HSCC) has announced the appointment of six specialists to scrutinise the government's progress made on its commitments
to pharmacy services in England on Wednesday (26 April).
"They will work alongside the core members of the Expert Panel to produce a report evaluating Government progress across nine of the Government's own commitments
across the four areas. A CQC-style rating from "inadequate" to "outstanding" will be awarded against each specific pledge with a final overall rating given," said
DHSC.
Professor Dame Jane Dacre, Chair of the Expert Panel, said: "The role of pharmacy in delivering care whether in hospital, the community or primary care has never
been more important.
"The Government has made a number of commitments aimed at improving pharmacy services and we'll be looking at the progress to achieve these targets.
"In the process of our evaluation we'll be hearing from stakeholders from across the industry, including the pharmacy workforce and NHS and independent providers
of pharmacy services. We'll be considering pledges covering frontline services as well as the education and training of the workforce."
National Pharmacy Association (NPA) chief executive, Mark Lyonette, is one of six panel members with specialist expertise in pharmacy. They will work alongside five
standing members who are all renowned healthcare policy experts and professionals. Professor Dame Jane Dacre will chair.
Alitam has announced that it has merged with clinical skills training provider MHRx to upskill UK pharmacists so that its chain of community pharmacies in the
UK can diagnose and treat minor medical ailments "quickly and safely".
This is a second merger deal announced by the group that has 100-plus pharmacies, just days after its merger with Pharmadoctor to "radically transform the UK and
Ireland's community pharmacy sector" into a truly preventative healthcare system.
Following the merger with MHRx, Alitam will now be providing a career development platform for its pharmacy teams, which also include nurses and other healthcare
professionals.
MHRx's training incorporates every aspect of general practice alongside relevant topics including making appropriate patient consultation records in line with NHS
guidelines.
This, Alitam believes, will allow community pharmacies to carry out formal diagnoses, formulate differential diagnosis plans, and perform full clinical examinations.
According to the founder and CEO Feisal Nahaboo, mergers such as these will lead to "a healthcare revolution predicated on building the world's first truly
preventative healthcare model".
The NHS plans to train hundreds of pharmacy staff, expanding their ability to provide advanced clinical services and assume wider roles in dispensing medicines.
With a targeted launch in September, up to 840 pharmacy technicians can join in the training programme. The online modules will cover consultation skills,
therapeutics, clinical decision-making, assessment skills, and service improvement.
"Community pharmacies are pivotal in local communities, and this novel training scheme empowers them to extend their service offerings to a wider patient base,"
said Health Minister Neil O'Brien. "Through our investment in the workforce, we're bolstering the implementation of the Pharmacy First initiative with £645 million,
ensuring patients have access to expert assistance for various common ailments, including urinary tract infections and earaches."
NHS said the training will offer flexibility to align with the working schedules and prior experience of community pharmacy technicians. It will combine independent
online e-course study, educational supervision, and clinical skills training. Facilitated workshops will concentrate on enhancing clinical assessment skills and
applying knowledge and skills through case studies, practice activities, and group discussions.
More than 300 fully-funded training places will be open to pharmacists and pharmacy technicians working in adult critical care units in England this year.
NHS England has awarded a contract to the UK Clinical Pharmacy Association (UKCPA) to deliver 200 funded continuing professional development places for
pharmacists and pharmacy technicians from April 2024.
Another school of pharmacy, the name of which has not been announced yet, will deliver 100 funded places on a pharmacist adult critical care pathway.
There are already 15 funded places on an adult critical care training pathway for pharmacy technicians provided by the University of Bradford.
Reacting to evidence indicating workforce concerns in critical care, NHS England invited bids from training providers for delivering the training in November 2023.
There are many reasons why people might need help with their dental problems. Maybe they don't have insurance, or maybe they just don't have the money to go to
a dentist. In these
cases, the pharmacy can be a great option. Pharmacists can provide a variety of services that can help people with their dental problems, including over-the-counter
medications and advice on how to take care of teeth and gums. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the ways that pharmacies can help you take care of your
teeth! So, whether you have a toothache, cavities, or bad breath, a pharmacy can be a great place to turn.
1) OVER-COUNTER MEDICATIONS
One of the most common services that pharmacies provide is the sale of over-the-counter medications. These medications are designed to be taken for short periods of
time and can help with a variety of dental problems. For example, if you have a toothache, you can buy an antiseptic rinse or analgesic gel that can help relieve
the pain. If you have bad breath, you can buy mouthwash or breath fresheners that will help mask the odor. And if you have cavities, you can purchase fluoride
rinses or gels that can help with decay prevention. If you are worried about the cost of dentists, these medications can be a great way to get the relief you need
without breaking the bank. However, it doesn't mean that you should neglect regular dental visits!
2) PROVIDE YOU WITH EDUCATION
Another way pharmacy can help you with your dental problems is through advice and education. Pharmacists are trained to provide general information on oral hygiene
and health and can help you make educated decisions about which products to buy. They can also provide recommendations on how often you should brush and floss your
teeth, as well as advice on diet and lifestyle choices that can help prevent dental problems. In addition, some pharmacies may even have an oral health specialist
on staff who can answer any questions you might have about your teeth or gums
The Health Education England (HEE) has secured funding to further support growth of the pharmacy technician workforce in 2022/23.
This support is through expansion of pre-registration trainee pharmacy technician (PTPT) training capacity in community pharmacy or as part of a cross-sector
integrated apprenticeship programme.
HEE will be holding two 90-minute webinars on Monday 27 2022. There will be a morning webinar (10-11.30am) and an evening webinar (7-8.30pm) for attendees to
choose from.
Topics like- available funding; eligibility for funding; PTPT training programme requirements for employers; how to apply for this funding; and the support
available from HEE for successful funding of applicants to develop their PTPT training programmes, will be covered during the webinars.
HEE is also hosting another webinar to provide an update on the Independent Prescribing (IP) for pharmacists training offer that they are developing for Autumn 2022.
Community pharmacies will be able to deliver approximately 15 million blood pressure screenings by 2026, revealed the Company Chemists' Association (CCA)'s new
research.
This will also prevent 15,000 people from suffering heart attacks or strokes. CCA has called the Government to take up their offer and commission pharmacies as the
first port of call for cardiovascular care.
"Thousands of lives can be saved with ambitious commissioning and the investment to match," said CCA.
There is an opportunity to use the expertise of community pharmacy to go further and provide the care these newly identified patients' need. To do this the sector
needs funding and workforce.
The association said: "Community pharmacy is under great financial pressure, suffering a real term funding cut of over 30% over 8 years. With funding, the sector can
transform to deliver this critical need for patients.
Whilst there are plans to train Independent Prescribers (IPs), there are no clear roles for them to use these skills. There is a need to accelerate training plans to
allow pharmacists to deliver the service described here and play their part in CVD management."
The recent announcement that Royal Mail will be partnering with distance selling pharmacy (DSP) giant pharmacy2U highlights how standards of regulatory
enforcement are being ignored to accommodate the DSP model.
The brunt of these double standards hinges around the levelling down of temperature enforcement standards by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory
Agency (MHRA) which demands mapping must be audited from the point of dispensing to the patient.
The MHRA has a well recognised duty to ensure medicines reach patients in a safe condition. The current anomaly appears to turn a blind eye to this step in the
supply chain at the point the wholesaler releases goods to the pharmacy hub.
Equally the training on delivering medicines safely and effectively direct to patients should apply fully to all hubs including DSPs. Why is it that DSPs are being
treated differently to bricks and mortar pharmacies? It's essentially the same patients receiving the same medicines from the same wholesalers.
A further regulatory disparity exists around how parcels must be "tracked and signed for" to be reasonably certain medicines are delivered into the hand of the
intended recipient, as per existing regulations.
Clearly an untracked, unsigned package cannot be guaranteed to finish in the hands of the intended recipient.
There is a very real possibility that such omission could lead to community pharmacy closures which will, in turn, lead to unemployment and a reduction in the
care services. At a time when integrated care systems have just gone live, the removal of vital support services leading to further inequalities is the wrong
message for both providers and patients alike.
The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has urged community pharmacy to plan and ensure patients are able to access their prescription if they
have to close in an emergency situation for a short period.
It has prepared a guidance which can be undertaken by pharmacy in the event of a closure and the contractor's business can resume easily and effectively once the
emergency has passed.
In its guidance, PSNC has stated a few actions that can be taken by pharmacy in advance:
Plan ahead - be ready before a closure is needed. Don't wait until your pharmacy needs to be closed before you consider how you will manage and what you can put in
place to mitigate the impact.
Make sure your business continuity plan is up to date and relevant to the current situation. For example, try not to rely on family and friends as part of your plan;
if you're having to isolate because of infectious illness, your close contacts may need to do so as well.
Ensure your SOPs are accurate, up to date and easy-to-find for someone completely unfamiliar with your pharmacy. Emergency numbers will be crucial. Normal, everyday
business continuity issues are still going to arise and anyone on-site needs to know how to address them:
In a bid to bolster the educational experience for undergraduate pharmacy students across London, Kingston University has embarked on a groundbreaking
project in collaboration with University College London and King's College London.
This initiative, fueled by a substantial £1.5 million investment from National Health Services England (NHSE), aims to elevate the quality and consistency of
pharmacy placements throughout the capital for new pharmacy entrants.
The project is designed to address the evolving standards set forth by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GphC), ensuring that newly-trained pharmacists
are well-prepared to meet the demands of their profession.
By standardizing and expanding pharmacy placements, the three universities seek to provide students with a comprehensive and diverse range of "experiential
learning opportunities".
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), supported by the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK),
have launched the first e-learning module in a series for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to develop their skills and knowledge in research.
A total of nine e-learning modules will be released by the end of 2022 to improve research awareness, knowledge and skills for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians
with little or no experience of research or research opportunities.
The aim is to improve the capacity of pharmacy professionals to provide the evidence base to improve the practice of pharmacy and the health of the public.
RPS President Professor Claire Anderson said: "Many pharmacy professionals are rather daunted by getting involved in research. Indeed, we have heard from
pharmacists undertaking our post-registration credentialing assessments that the Research domain can present a real challenge.
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has launched a consultation on changes to the quality assurance processes of pharmacy education and training.
In its consultation published on 4 April 2024, the pharmacy regulator has proposed four key changes to the procedures, including annual monitoring of all
pharmacy education providers, including pharmacy schools offering MPharm courses.
The annual audit will enable the GPhC "to identify and address concerns together with providers in a more timely, proportionate and systematic manner".
It is considering collecting yearly data, including feedback from students, trainees, supervisors and patients, from educational organisations.
The GPhC has also proposed defining clear lines of responsibility and criteria for determining whether to re-approve a course or qualification.
The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has notified that it is now mandatory to attend face-to-face training for both injection technique
and basic life support training periodically for pharmacists and other vaccinators providing the annual flu vaccination service.
"Community pharmacy contractors are required to demonstrate that all vaccinators, including pharmacists, providing the flu vaccination service in their pharmacy
have the skills needed to do so," said PSNC.
Prior to this change, pharmacists and other vaccinators needed to undertake a refresher face-to-face training for both injection technique and basic life support,
including administration of adrenaline, every three years.
Vaccinator needs to evidence competence
PSNC said: "Contractors and vaccinators will now need to consider when it would be appropriate to attend refresher training or if ongoing competence of an individual
vaccinator can be evidenced, without the need for face-to-face training.
"An individual's continued competence may be influenced by their prior experience vaccinating patients, including the overall number of vaccines administered and
the regularity with which they administer vaccines."
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has produced a new resource to support pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who are providing pharmacy services to
children and young people with gender incongruence or dysphoria.
It emphasises that pharmacy teams providing such services need to adhere to the standard process of clinical assessment and care provision they have been trained
to take as healthcare professionals.
The starting point is that pharmacy professionals must provide compassionate, inclusive and person-centred care, within the current relevant legal and regulatory
context.
"It's essential that all patients have access to appropriate, high-quality and respectful healthcare, free from discrimination or bias," the GPhC noted
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has informed the Welsh Parliament about the workforce crisis in the pharmacy sector and the need to prioritise staff well-being and training requirements to help Covid recovery plans.
Providing evidence to the Senedd's Health and Social Care Committee's inquiry into waiting times, the RPS director in Wales Elen Jones emphasised that the pandemic
brought the pharmacy workforce under immense pressure.
She emphasised on "the need for workforce planning that allows pharmacists enough time to learn, teach and embed new skills," which would help in maintaining a motivated and sustainable workforce.
Jones presented the evidence alongside colleagues from the Royal College of General Practitioners, Community Pharmacy Wales and the Royal College of Nursing.
Leading pharmacy group Weldricks has strengthened its commitment to providing the highest quality of care to the communities it serves by implementing the
RPS Daffodil Quality Improvement Standards for Community Pharmacy.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) on Monday (20 November) announced that Weldricks will soon be rolling out the Daffodil Standards across half its stores in
South Yorkshire.
Developed in partnership with UK charity Marie Curie, the RPS Daffodil Standards serve as a framework for improving the quality of palliative and end-of-life care
provided by community pharmacy teams.
Amy Marlin, Superintendent Pharmacist of Weldricks, commented that the implementation of the RPS Daffodil Standards is "another step forward in our journey to
provide the highest quality of care to the communities we serve."