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Letters to the Editor
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Education
Training and development needs of pharmacists in primary care
From Dr J. Loader, MRPharmS, and Dr P. J. Rogers, MRPharmS
We read with interest the original paper (PDF 100K) by
Jesson et al (PJ, 16 October,
pp564–9). The study, conducted during 2002, describes the core
knowledge and skills for primary care trust pharmacists. It appears to
conclude that, on the whole, postgraduate programmes surveyed do not
meet future developments in primary care pharmacy nor support the management
training needs of PCT pharmacists. The authors rightly state that PCT
pharmacists are in need of rapid skills development, and that university-accredited
short programmes that enable credit transfer could make an important
contribution.
This need was identified by the workforce development confederations
in the South West and, working in partnership with the local NHS, the
University of Bath has developed a medicines management programme comprising
two postgraduate modules. The first module is aimed at practice pharmacists
or those providing operational support to PCTs. It focuses on medicines
management in general practice and explains links to the PCT and secondary
care in the context of NHS policy. The second module is aimed at those
working in a more strategic role in PCTs and considers the broader context
of the organisation and functioning of the NHS, particularly in respect
of the governance and responsibilities the health service places on PCTs
for medicines management. It looks at NHS modernisation in the context
of priority policy areas such as the management of long-term conditions
and public health and considers contracts, commissioning and finance.
The main aim of the programme is to be highly relevant to current NHS
needs which means we are constantly updating the content. It uses a blend
of work-based learning, web- or text-based study guides and face-to-face
workshops, and has been designed by experienced PCT and health authority
advisers for those newer to working in primary care. The programme provides
transferable postgraduate credits that may be used to obtain an award
and addresses many of the needs identified in Jesson et al’s paper.
Jill Loader
Medicines Management Programme Lead
Philip Rogers
Director of Studies
Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology,
University of Bath
Important to combine management skills and therapeutics
From Mr B. A. Warner, MRPharmS, and Dr D. Gerrett, MRPharmS
We were interested to read the original paper (PDF 100K) by Jesson et
al (PJ,
16 October, pp564–9) relating to the training and development needs
of strategic level pharmacists in primary care.
This, perhaps, follows on from previous work in 20001 when we used a similar
method specific to practice pharmacists. We can confirm the findings by
Jesson et al that PCT pharmacists require management skills, but additionally
we also found a need for therapeutic skills. This work led to the development
of the Primary Care Pharmacy MSc course at the University of Derby ,which
superseded the MSc in Community Pharmacy mentioned in the paper by Jesson
et al.
We believe that this course does in fact address many of the management
training issues identified by Jesson et al, but crucially places them in
a pharmacy context. Lessons on financial structures in primary care, time
management and developing bids, protocols and service specifications, for
example, are included and we believe are best placed within the context
of a pharmacy setting if they are to be seen as relevant to pharmacists
working at a strategic level. The flexibility of the course at Derby allows
management topics such as these to be combined with more clinical and therapeutic
modules, which we feel strategic level pharmacists still find of value.
The uniqueness of pharmacists working in these posts is their ability to
combine management skills with a sound knowledge of therapeutics and this
is perhaps why they have been so successful. It is the option of this combination
that the Derby course aims to achieve.
Bruce Warner
David Gerrett
Pharmacy Academic Practice Unit,
University of Derby
Reference
1. Warner B.A. A training needs analysis of practice pharmacists (MSc
thesis). Derby: University of Derby; 2000. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal