Join C+D's Big Debate on independent prescribing qualifications tonight at 7pm
With several pharmacy bodies voicing their desire for all community pharmacists to become independent prescribers, join the next Big Debate on the C+D Community to discuss whether getting qualified to prescribe is really worth it.
C+D’s seventh Big Debate on the peer-to-peer C+D Community platform will take place today, February 16. It will be chaired by C+D’s news editor Valeria Fiore between 7 and 8pm.
Tonight’s discussion will bring together five experts: Helga Mangion, policy manager at the National Pharmacy Association; Alisdair Jones, a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society English board; Aled Roberts, associate director of contractor engagement at Community Pharmacy Wales; Matt Barclay, director of operations at Community Pharmacy Scotland; and Nick Haddington, pharmacy dean for the South West, Thames Valley and Wessex at HEE.
Join your peers to discuss:
- What are the benefits of completing an independent prescribing qualification now?
- How do different countries in the UK plan to utilise these skills?
- What obstacles are there at present, preventing community pharmacist prescribers from using their skills?
New educational standards
In December 2020, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) approved new standards for pharmacists' initial education and training, with the aim of making prescribing skills an “integral part” of pharmacists’ training.
The GPhC’s outgoing chair Nigel Clarke told C+D last year that need for independent prescribers has grown “without a doubt”.
The regulator launched a consultation to explore whether the two-years’ experience requirement to start training to become an independent prescriber should be scrapped – but the results of this consultation have not been published yet.
Plans for existing workforce across Great Britain
The governments across Great Britain are keen to upskill the existing workforce as soon as possible.
Health Education England (HEE) announced last month that community pharmacists can already apply for one of the 327 funded independent prescribing places for courses starting in the first half of the year, while more places will be added in the autumn.
Meanwhile, the Welsh government first increased the number of independent prescribing places to 60 last year, to later reveal its intention to increase funding for independent prescribing services from £1.2m to £20.2m per year by 2024.
More recently, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) in Scotland has envisioned that all pharmacists in a patient-facing role will be independent prescribers by 2030 – which should also help the successful Pharmacy First service further develop to include new conditions.
Register for free on the C+D Community to take part or sign up via LinkedIn.
