The national vocational training scheme for Scottish hospital pharmacists was reviewed and relaunched at a meeting on February 17 held at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Scottish headquarters, Edinburgh
An outline of the features of the training scheme was given at the meeting by Dr NORMAN LANNIGAN (chief pharmacist, Lothian university hospitals NHS trust). He said that the scheme had finally evolved two years ago as the result of a 1993 report from the Chief Administrative Pharmaceutical Officers Group which had established a strategy for the education of hospital pharmacists in Scotland. In fact, the scheme had now been a full decade in development, since initial work by Dr Lannigan and Dr Kate McKean (chief pharmacist, Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow) had commenced some three years before the CAPOs' report.
Dr Lannigan said that training commenced with the preregistration trainee becoming a pharmacist (Stage 1), then on to hospital pharmacist (Stage 2), specialist hospital pharmacist (Stage 3) and hospital pharmacist leader (Stage 4). There were four main areas of training:
Each participant was given a comprehensive manual and offered tutor support throughout the training. The assessment included project work and oral examinations.
Dr Lannigan emphasised that the scheme depended on employers organising an efficient programme of departmental rotation and providing some time for study. He said that co-operation with the hospitals had been excellent.
With the experience gained from the pilot scheme some changes were planned. For example, a new manual had been produced and was launched at the meeting.
Dr Lannigan added that the Association of Scottish Trust Chief Pharmacists was also working on Stage 3 and 4 training and had entered into early negotiations with the Scottish schools of pharmacy about developing a PharmD course. The ultimate aim of the training scheme was to establish qualifications that would be a requirement for career progression within the hospital service.
Eight pharmacists who had successfully completed the Stage 2 pilot scheme were presented with certificates during the meeting: left to right, Miss Shona Gear (Western infirmary, Glasgow), Mrs Aileen Sutherland (Ailsa hospital, Ayr), Miss Melanie McKendrick (Monklands hospital, Lanarkshire), Mrs Hazel Fisher (Stobhill hospital, Glasgow), Miss Lynne Anderson (Ninewells hospital, Dundee), Miss Lorna Wilson (Yorkhill hospital, Glasgow), Miss Carol Telfer (Ninewells hospital, Dundee) and Miss Louise Greenwell (Royal infirmary, Edinburgh) |
Professor BRYAN VEITCH (chairman, College of Pharmacy Practice) said that the college was delighted to be associated with the training scheme, particularly as 70 per cent of its members were hospital pharmacists. The scheme, which allowed parallel professional development through the college and the Society, was so comprehensive that it was about to be adopted in Wales. It had also attracted close attention from elsewhere in the United Kingdom.
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Bryan Veitch: the scheme is now to be adopted in Wales |
On the topic of pharmaceutical care, Professor Veitch said that it should be the aim of all pharmacists to become involved in the concept. It was important to have well trained support staff to assist.
Professor Veitch also paid tribute to the standard of work of those pharmacists who had successfully completed Stage 2 of the scheme. Emphasising the importance of being able to think on one's feet in modern day pharmacy, he said that all the candidates had demonstrated such ability during their examination.
Mrs CHRISTINE GLOVER (President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society) highlighted the problems currently being experienced by the hospital sector in recruiting and retaining staff. The prospect of establishing a career pathway through the training scheme would be applauded by all, she said.
Mrs Glover was particularly impressed by the co-operation between the schools of pharmacy, the Scottish Centre for Post Qualification Pharmaceutical Education, the College of Pharmacy Practice and the Association of Scottish Trust Chief Pharmacists to ensure the best possible teaching input to the scheme.
Closing the meeting, the chairman, Mr BILL SCOTT (chief pharmacist, Scottish Executive) said that the day had been an extremely important one for the profession of pharmacy in Scotland.