The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 264 No 7095 p683
May 6, 2000 News

NHS publishes core competencies for primary care pharmacists

The National Health Service Executive and the National Prescribing Centre (NPC) have set out the core competencies expected of primary care pharmacists. In a new book, primary care pharmacists are defined as health authority pharmaceutical advisers, plus pharmacists working full or part time, or on a sessional basis, for primary care groups, primary care trusts or general medical practices. In a letter that accompanies the guide, Mrs Jeanette Howe (acting chief pharmacist, Department of Health) and Dr Clive Jackson (director, NPC) say: "Clearly, it is important to the NHS, and particularly to patients, that pharmacists working within the new primary care environment get it right. Achieving this goal requires the provision of support and encouragement, both nationally and locally. It requires pharmacists to be honest with themselves (and others) about gaps in their knowledge and skills and to be prepared to both acknowledge and address them."

NHS offers training guidance for primary care pharmacists

The document divides the competencies it sets into four categories: working as a pharmacist; working with information; working with people; and personal contributions. Each category includes three overall competency statements that apply to the NHS, clinical/pharmaceutical knowledge or professional issues. Each of these three statements is then broken down into a range of generic behavioural indicators.
The book offers guidance on how these generic behavioural indicators should be tailored to fit individuals' own jobs and roles and how these should then be used to identify shortcomings that need to be addressed by training (gaining knowledge or learning new techniques) and development (practising in order to develop skill).
Templates for assessing training and development needs and a list of postgraduate courses that may be relevant to primary care pharmacists are included, although the guide warns that none of the courses have been evaluated in the context of the core competency framework.
"Competencies for pharmacists working in primary care" is available on written request from the National Prescribing Centre, The Infirmary, 70 Pembroke Place, Liverpool L69 3GF (fax 0151 794 8139).