The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 276 No 7401 p606
20 May 2006

Society summary

Local learning to further improve quality and safety

A unique e-learning programme has been jointly developed by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the NHS Clinical Governance Support Team with support from a range of other organisations.

The aim of this free resource is to support community pharmacists in their understanding of the components of clinical governance and its vital role within the new pharmacy contract.

Clinical governance is the framework within the NHS that ensures the quality and safety of care for patients. The role of community pharmacists at the frontline of care means they play a crucial part in the everyday experience of patients and act as a highly skilled resource to other health care professionals.

The training programme, launched on 22 May, has been developed as seven interactive online modules and is available to all community pharmacists and their teams. This means they can learn at a time and location to suit their needs. The content has been designed with support and contribution from Leicester Primary Care Audit Group, Client Focused Evaluations Programme, the National Patient Safety Agency, the National Pharmacy Association, the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, the National Prescribing Centre and the Faculty of Prescribing and Medicines Management.

The online training has been developed to fit with the busy life of community pharmacists as well as giving a structured introduction to a professional issue of growing importance for the 12,066 pharmacy teams involved in local practice. The approach is being fully evaluated so that access to the programme and effectiveness of the resources can be assessed and further developed as necessary.

The programme (see Panel) is available to community pharmacists from 22 May and will include all of the following modules to provide a thorough grounding in clinical governance.

Commenting on the launch of the programme, Aidan Halligan, director of clinical governance for the NHS, said: “Clinical governance is all about ensuring safe, high quality and accountable care and that involves leadership and learning to make an everyday reality. Community pharmacists already make a crucial contribution to clinical governance. This programme will help them further improve quality and safety and underpin the high regard they have.”

David Pruce, director of practice and quality improvement at the Society, added: “Quality has always been fundamental to pharmacy since its inception. Pharmacists go to great lengths to ensure the quality of our products, our services and our clinical advice. All the principles of clinical governance can be found in our code of ethics. This new programme, delivered in an innovative way, will continue to put the principles into everyday practice. I would recommend getting involved to all community pharmacists.”