The University of Exeter are offering a new Master in Clinical Pharmacy

New pharmacist training to upskill workforce

Qualified post-registration community pharmacists in the South of England can now enrol in the University of Exeter Medical School’s new Master in Clinical Pharmacy.

The innovative and engaging MSc Clinical Pharmacy (Primary Care and Community) programme Courses are fully funded from allocation of resources from the Pharmacy Integration Fund (PhIF).

The PhIF has been set up by NHS England to enable pharmacist and pharmacy technician integration in primary care. As part of new multi-disciplinary healthcare teams, pharmacists will further develop their clinical skills for practice and, in particularly, for the benefit of people with long-term conditions.

It aims to better integrate pharmacy professionals into wider primary care by allowing pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to spend more time delivering clinical and public health services to the benefit of patients and the public.

Health Education England (HEE), working with stakeholders and partners, including the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and pharmacy professional bodies, has developed innovative, flexible and accessible blended learning solutions, following a competitive tendering process.

Dr Laura Sims, of the University of Exeter Medical School, said: “We are delighted to be working with the University of Bath in this educational initiative and look forward to contributing to the clinical upskilling of pharmacists. Quality healthcare needs medication expertise, and we are committed to facilitating pharmacy integration further into primary care. These are exciting times for the pharmacy profession and we are pleased to be partners in this journey.”

Pharmacists are offered four 15 credit core modules that combined amount to a maximum of 60 credits per learner per year. This will provide them with a Masters' level post graduate certificate in Clinical Pharmacy.  At the end of their course, at whatever level, pharmacists will have enhanced skills and experience of best practice which they are expected to take back into their practices to strengthen and diversify the pharmacy workforce.  Learning will encompass five strands: service improvement; extended skills; patient activation; delivering medicines optimisation; and NHS England and local clinical priorities. 

Bruce Warner, Deputy Chief Pharmaceutical Officer at NHS England, explains; "The NHS wants to ensure that pharmacists and pharmacy technicians play an increasingly visible and expanded role in improving outcomes and value from medicines for patients across our communities.

"The aim is to better integrate pharmacy professionals into wider primary care by spending more time delivering clinical and public health services to the benefit of patients and the public."

Professor Wendy Reid, Executive Director of Education and Quality & National Medical Director, Health Education England said: “Making sure the workforce has the right skills, behaviours and values to enable effective multi-disciplinary team working and integration within the NHS, is key to the long-term sustainability of the NHS.

“The Pharmacy Integration Fund is enabling us to work with our stakeholders to develop this innovative and engaging new training as part of our broader agenda to drive workforce transformation across the NHS to support locally delivered integrated care models.”

The new Post-Registration Pharmacy courses will be delivered across the country by three partner universities secured through the robust procurement process: De Montfort University through a consortium, University of Manchester, and University of Bath through a consortium.

More information about the training provision for community pharmacists can be found on the website of the university’s taking part.

For information about the full range of fully-funded workforce development opportunities offered for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, please see https://hee.nhs.uk/our-work/developing-our-workforce/pharmacy-education-training

Date: 24 January 2018