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Letters to the Editor
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Preregistration training
Paying bonuses is not a sensible way to improve preregistration training
From Mr I. F. Cawthorne, MRPharmS
Riaz Firfirey argues that the lump sum paid to community pharmacies
for training preregistration pharmacists should be reduced, with a bonus
at the end of the year for giving the student a satisfactory report (PJ,
17 December 2005, p752).
In my view the preregistration year is about ensuring the student is
a safe and competent practitioner. It is important that preregistration
tutors are able to give an impartial verdict on the student’s abilities.
By linking a bonus for a satisfactory report it would be difficult to
feel confident that students were not being signed off inappropriately
merely for the cash; indeed for unscrupulous tutors it would be an incentive
for them to sign off sub-standard students.
Recognition also needs giving to the fact that most community pharmacy
preregistration grants are used to subsidise the salary of the student.
Reducing the grant would lead to a reduction in the trainee’s salary.
There may be tutors who might put more effort into training their students.
However, in my experience, the best scenario is an enthusiastic and dynamic
trainee, who will inevitably energise and stimulate the whole process.
The vast majority of preregistration trainees are knowledgeable and competent
and they put as much into a pharmacy department as they get out. We do
need to make sure though that those students who struggle are given the
support they need, but providing a bonus only for passing students is
not a sensible way to make the system work.
Ian Cawthorne
Chief Pharmacist
Rotherham General Hospital
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The
Pharmaceutical Journal