Background

NHS England commissions the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) to provide compulsory training for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians whose salaries are being supported with the Additional Role Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) funding. This training pathway is the Primary care pharmacy education pathway.

NHS England has agreed that places remaining for a cohort not taken by pharmacy professionals in ARRS funded roles can be made available to pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in non-PCN roles in GP practices or care homes if their employer agrees to provide the necessary support.

Who is eligible for the training programme?

The training is for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who want to develop or advance their skills and knowledge to deliver patient-facing medicines optimisation and other services in general practice and care homes settings.

Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians must meet the following criteria:
• Be already working in a patient-facing primary care role for a minimum of about 0.5 wte (2.5 18.75 hours per week) in a GP practice or care home setting. Any less than this and the number of days study leave becomes a burden for the practice.
• Have the support of their employer who agrees to:

• release the pharmacist or pharmacy technician for 28 days of protected learning time for face-to-face events during the pathway, regardless of the number of days per week they are working
• provide a GP (or other medic) clinical supervisor for pharmacists OR an experienced pharmacist clinical supervisor for pharmacy technicians. Each pharmacist or pharmacy technician should receive a minimum of one clinical supervision session per month and have access to the clinical supervisor during the course of the working week to address urgent issues. There is a handbook for clinical supervisors on the CPPE website which explains the role. Clinical supervisors would be expected to take part in the CPPE clinical supervisor training (two short online workshops).
• ensuring the pharmacy professional’s role includes patient-facing work
• support the pharmacy professional with travelling expenses for pathway events
• support the pharmacist through their independent prescribing training at the end of the CPPE pathway (including the supervision required) if they are not already independent prescribers
• Be able to attend face to face events, including residential study days over the 18 months and be able to stay overnight for the residential events
• Be able to commit to studying in their own time for up to 30 days during the pathway, as well as attending
  all the pathway events.

How long is the training and what does it cover?

The training is an 18-month workplace-based model for pharmacists and 15-months for pharmacy technicians. Find out more on the CPPE website.

How do pharmacists or pharmacy technicians and their employers apply for the training?

Pharmacy professionals apply for the training through the CPPE website and must upload a completed CPPE supporting statement form where it asks for the proof of employment as well as a CV. The supporting statement form can be downloaded from the CPPE website.

This form must include a description of why the pharmacist or pharmacy technician would benefit from the training pathway and how the employer is planning to support the development of the pharmacist’s patient-facing role (no more than 200 words).

Applications can be made at any time but they will not be approved until CPPE knows that there are places remaining for the cohort which will be about two weeks before the start of the cohort.

How will a learner’s training be supervised?

CPPE will provide education supervision and clinical mentorship to learners and ensure that supervisory arrangements strongly support the educational and practical elements of the training. Education supervisors will be pharmacy professionals with the appropriate skills and experience. Clinical mentors will be pharmacists with relevant skills and experience; they act as assessors and will be available to pharmacy professionals requiring additional support.

Why should pharmacists and pharmacy technicians take part in this training pathway?

CPPE has developed this training pathway to equip pharmacy professionals with the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to meet the competencies required for their roles in primary care. The pathway will enable them to be patient-facing and person-centred practitioners who are integrated into the multidisciplinary team, with the aim of improving patient access to primary care and supporting and empowering patients to achieve optimal health and wellbeing.

They will have:

• enhanced knowledge and improved skills to work effectively and provide person-centred care
• greater capability to deliver care in changing service models
• improved confidence and resilience, demonstrable leadership skills and behaviours in approach to patient care
• become part of the integrated multidisciplinary team in primary care networks and work with partners who support their work
• ability to train other members of the multidisciplinary team
• greater visibility and recognition of the pharmacy professionals’ contribution to patient care
• greater opportunity for career progression and advancement in clinical pharmacy service delivery.

The employers and the NHS will benefit from:

• improved continuity of care
• improvements in patient outcomes, safety and wellbeing
• improved communication between professionals providing healthcare in the primary care system
• reduced hospital and emergency department admissions
• reduced reliance on hospital care
• early identification of pharmaceutical care needs as part of holistic integrated programme
• delivery of the Primary Care Network directed enhanced service

The pathway will help pharmacy professionals working in primary care to:

• develop their consultation skills and promote shared decision making
• perform clinical patient-facing roles
• work as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• provide leadership on person-centred medicines optimisation and integration into the wider healthcare teams
• be part of a professional clinical network with access to appropriate clinical supervision
• receive support and supervision to allow them to do their job safely and confidently.

Contact details
More information about the Primary care pharmacy education pathway can be found on the CPPE website or by emailing primarycare@cppe.ac.uk.

The overall aim of the Newly Qualified Pharmacist programme is to support newly qualified pharmacists to develop, and demonstrate, confidence and competence in core areas of pharmacy practice. The programme is designed to support pharmacists to become better equipped to adapt and deliver safe and effective patient care and overcome the challenges of this new stage of their career.

The 12-month programme, fully funded by NHS England (NHSE) as part of their Newly Qualified Pharmacist pathway, takes a blended learning approach, offering a mix of online learning, workshops, assessment and work-based support through a designated CPPE education supervisor.

CPPE tutor and education supervisor Jenny Graham has created a short video to tell you more NQP – trailer – Newly Qualified Pharmacist programme trailer on Vimeo

Cohort 8

• Applications open: 13th January 2025
• Applications close: 17th March 2025
• Start date: 24th March 2025

Click here to apply or find out more.

This is a great short programme that will help you feel more confident in managing people’s expectations of the Pharmacy First services using tools such as the 5A’s Model and the CHEST SSS Framework when discussing appropriate antibiotic provision.

Click here to find out more.

It is suitable for Pharmacists, Trainee Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians.

Visit this link for a full library of CPPE Pharmacy First resources and explore the extensive drop-down “useful resources” tab.

The CPPE Accuracy Checking Pharmacy Technician (ACPT) programme aims to support pharmacy technicians to:

• develop the skills required to be a safe final accuracy checking pharmacy technician
• improve leadership skills to direct the dispensary team
• support the multi-disciplinary team to deliver patient-facing services.

Click here for more information.

The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer’s Pharmacy leaders development programme is for experienced pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who aspire to lead large and complex NHS departments, services, teams or systems of care to benefit patients and local communities. It aims to develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours to help experienced pharmacy professionals become outstanding, compassionate and inclusive leaders, and improve the performance of the teams and the people who work with them to deliver improved outcomes for patients and the public.

It offers a comprehensive mix of residential workshops, optional online specialist study days, and small group support to build capability, confidence and networks across the wider system.

Online applications for Cohort 8 are now open with a closing date of 16th December 2024.

Click here for further information.

This online tutor supported Leading for change programme is delivered over 6-months and is open to Pharmacy professionals who have responsibility for leading a team or services within their organisation. The programme will enable participants to develop the behaviours required to become an inspiring and effective pharmacy leader, with the knowledge and skills to deliver better outcomes for patients and service users. The Autumn cohorts for this programme are now full, but applications for Spring 2025 will open in February 2025. The online course is delivered over four modules and is complemented by 4 compulsory workshops.

Cohort 3 begins on 31st March with workshops on Tuesday afternoons (8th April, 13th may, 17th June and 22nd July).

Cohort 4 begins on 7th April with workshops on Wednesday mornings (16th April, 21st May, 25th June and 30th July).

Click here for further information.

CPPE offer a range of self-directed e-courses which allow a deeper learning experience and focus on specific therapeutic areas.Topics include:
Fundamentals of cardiovascular therapeutics
Fundamentals of palliative care
Fundamentals of public health for pharmacy practice
Fundamentals of renal therapeutics
Fundamentals of respiratory therapeutics

Coming soon: Fundamentals of diabetes

The updated Structured medication review e-course is due to be launched in February 2025. Suitable for Pharmacists, trainee pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. This programme will support you to use evidence based reference sources and apply clinical judgement and skills to engage people in shared decision making and prioritise recommendations to prescribers resulting from a structured medication review.

CPPE’s huge suite of online workshops is now open for booking through to the end of March 2025. These are NHS England funded for all registered pharmacy professionals, including pharmacy technicians and trainee pharmacists.

Click here for details and dates of all online workshops.

If you have any questions please contact Debbie Needham (Yorkshire and Humber) Deborah.needham@cppe.ac.uk.

CPPE have a portfolio of 36 clinical factsheets that you may find useful. Each factsheet should refresh your knowledge of that particular condition and provide you with links to appropriate further resources. As with all CPPE  materials, these factsheets have been reviewed by topic experts.

This programme aims to develop the knowledge, clinical skills and behaviours of pharmacy technicians working in Community Pharmacy to increase patient access to clinical services by widening the skill mix in pharmacy teams.

The programme is made up of the following main components:

• Self-directed e-course comprised of six modules
• Learning needs analysis (LNA) and an initial meeting with an education supervisor to discuss learning needs and create an action plan
• Clinical assessment skills face to face workshop
• Workplace practice of clinical assessment skills
• Online two-hour workshop to support reflective practice
• Optional peer support sessions, which provide opportunities to develop professional network and establish support networks
• Approximately 4-6 hours of learning per week

Click here for further information.