Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE)

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The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7496 p400
5 April 2008

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Letters

• Society elections (2)
• Devolution
• Medication errors
• Children's medicines
• The new contract
• Community pharmacy
• Patient safety
• Responsible pharmacist
• CPPE
• Education
• The Society (4)
• Pharmacy in the media

Letters to the Editor

Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE)

Reply from Christopher Cutts, director, CPPE

Failing pharmacists and technicians

From Mr A. Matalia, MRPharmS

If the Government claims there is a shortage of pharmacists, then why is there no encouragement for those pharmacists who are non-practising to return to the profession? This is exemplified by the attitude of the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education. Non-practising pharmacists may not register with the CPPE and undertake CPD courses.

My understanding is that the CPPE is directly funded by the Department of Health to deliver CPD support to pharmacists and pharmacy technicians offering NHS services in England.

This government commitment ensures that all practising pharmacy professionals are supported to ensure that they can keep themselves up to date with the required knowledge and skills and are able to demonstrate their fitness to practise.

The logic of refusing to allow non-practising pharmacists to undertake downloadable CPPE courses is weak. Even weaker is the rationale blocking access to technicians who work in the NHS, but who have chosen not to join the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Perhaps, the CPPE can explain its stance and how this meets the Government’s commitment to CPD.

A. Matalia
Coventry

CHRISTOPHER CUTTS, director, CPPE, responds:

The CPPE is indeed funded by the Department of Health. Our remit is to provide learning opportunities for registered, practising pharmacists and pharmacy technicians offering NHS services to patients in England. However we also offer support for those who wish to return to practising status.

Each year we offer our “return to practice” learning programme to those who are already registered and have taken a break, and our “preparing for practice” materials to support preregistration trainees as they join the register and prepare to start their commitment to lifelong learning and development.

We are delighted to make it known that we are revising both of these programmes this year to make sure that they continue to offer access to the widest possible audience and meet their defined purpose.

When we develop our learning programmes, we seek to make sure that they are linked directly to the way that people work and that they help people to improve the way in which they practise pharmacy.

Since the purpose of our programmes is to support those who are engaged actively in the practise of pharmacy, it makes sense that all those who attend have made the professional decision to maintain their practising status.

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