The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 267 No 7163 p293-296
1 September 2001

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  Statutory fees
  Community pharmacy
  Intervention
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  Pharmacy education
  Preregistration
  Indemnity insurance
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Preregistration

Trainees need real practice experience

From Mr L. B. Thomson, MRPharmS

I read with interest the recent article (PJ, 7 July, p20) and letter (PJ, 4 August, p152) regarding the new preregistration training scheme.

I think it is an excellent step to incorporate both community and hospital experience for preregistration trainees. However, I think that a two-week period is rather short to experience an area of practice that one may not previously have had contact with. This could result in a rather hurried review of departments, particularly in the hospital environment, rather than the possibly more valuable experience gained from, say, one month’s secondment.

I would also like to ask if, under the two categories community and hospital, there is scope for experience of the practice pharmacist or local health care co-operative (or equivalent) pharmacist sector. I see this as a quite distinct area of practice from community and hospital pharmacy. With the development of specialist centres such as the pharmaceutical care centre at the school of pharmacy at the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, students can get a taste of the practice and community environment. While this is a great step forward I feel that working within a real practice environment with contact and discussion with general practitioners would be advantageous for preregistration trainees whether or not they go on to work in this area.

As the face of pharmacy changes, it is essential that all newly qualified pharmacists are aware of all the options for their future career development. I would certainly welcome any preregistration trainees wishing to work within our LHCC practice environment during their training year.

Lesley Thomson
LHCC Pharmacy Manager,
Aberdeenshire Central LHCC

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