The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7230 p15
4 January 2003

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Letters to the Editor

Public health

Possibility of new CPP faculty

From Dr A. M. Alexander, FRPharmS, and Mr I. G. Simpson, FRPharmS

We are grateful to Dr Terry Maguire for raising the profile of the public health roles of pharmacists (PJ, 7 December 2002, p808) and we wish to comment on one particular aspect of his article.

For several months, the College of Pharmacy Practice has been participating in the "quiet debate" about whether or not there should be a specialism of pharmaceutical public health. Having had informal discussions with many of the key players, both in public health and pharmacy, we are now at the stage of proposing to develop a faculty for pharmacists who see themselves as having a public health role, either at an operational or strategic level.

The college established its faculty structure in order to recognise the expertise of pharmacists working as specialists in various aspects of pharmacy practice, and help them develop their aspirations and competencies. The board of our Faculty of Prescribing and Medicines Management has identified the following aims and is developing a range of activities to support them:

• Identify professional standards by defining relevant competencies

• Formally recognise competence, expertise and excellence when achieved

• Provide targeted education and training

• Accredit appropriate training

• Support personal and career development

• Provide peer support and networking

• Provide input into national policy and strategic development

• Support practice research and development

• Promote and share best practice

Our vision is for faculties in other fields of practice, including public health, to develop along similar principles. In the case of public health, this development would raise awareness among pharmacists of their roles in public health, at both policy and practice levels, with the purpose of integrating those roles into the wider public health arena. We therefore think that the faculty would complement the roles of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine, the UK Public Health Association and the Pharmacy Healthcare Scheme, rather than compete with them. To that end, we would see it as a Faculty of Pharmacists in Public Health, rather than a Faculty of Pharmaceutical Public Health, but we recognise that colleagues, both within the college and elsewhere, may wish to debate this further.

We would welcome discussion with any readers who would wish to help us to further our aims (e-mail info@collpharm.org.uk).

Angela Alexander
Chairman of Governors

Ian Simpson
Chief Executive
College of Pharmacy Practice

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