The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 279 No 7479 p576
24 November 2007

This article
Reprint   Photocopy

  Acrobat Reader

News summary

Professional body must represent all practice levels

Equal representation for pharmacy practitioners in all sectors of the profession and at all levels will be required from the new professional body, according to members of the UK Clinical Pharmacy Association who voiced their opinions at the UKCPA autumn symposium, held in Leeds last week.

Young pharmacists said they wanted direct and seamless access to postregistration education and training, linked directly to accreditation and validation of practice. They wanted the professional body to lead on specialisation and associated levels of advanced practice.

Members perceived their medical colleagues as having full support from the medical royal colleges as they progressed through levels of career practice, and they believed pharmacists had identical needs.

Members were keen that any new professional body should adequately, and properly, represent practitioners, and there was a general view that this does not currently happen.

When prompted to look forward, delegates wanted an assurance that any new body should be able to promote the profession, and the roles of practitioners, at national, Government and local levels.

A number of members said that a new professional body should fulfil some of the current functions of the UKCPA, such as providing support and leadership for new models of practice and service enhancement.

The views came principally from the younger membership of the UKCPA, since the UKCPA autumn symposium is weighted towards their needs and interests.