The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7500 p537
3 May 2008

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• Trimethoprim (2)
• Personalised service
• Shambolic procedures
• White Paper
• Workload
• Patents and generics
• Learning@lunch
• Minority languages
• Domain names
• Public relations (2)
• New professional body (2)
• The Society

Letters to the Editor

Learning@lunch

An opportunity to update skills

From Mr J. S. Persaud, MRPharmS and Mrs A. Noott, MRPharmS

We recently attended a Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) facilitation training day in Birmingham for pharmacists and technicians who are intending to facilitate the use of the Learning@ Lunch programme in their hospital trusts.

The learning events were developed after feedback from the national evaluation that CPPE undertook late last year.

Learning@Lunch offers a range of clinical topics at a level that is challenging and relevant to the “generalist” hospital pharmacist and clinical pharmacy technician. Learning@Lunch helps pharmacists and technicians to keep up to date with topical subjects at no cost to the department. It provides high quality training for staff at their local department.

The latest Learning@ Lunch modules include diabetes, mental health, smoking cessation, asthma and child health.

The CPPE produces three booklets for each module: for pre-reading, for the training session and for post-session use. Each session is designed to be run within a lunch hour. The booklets include case studies, related questions and multiple choice questions enabling participants to expand their learning after the lunchtime session.

The post-session follow-up activities can be easily adapted to meet local priorities. There is also a facilitator’s booklet with additional background reading and material that helps support an in-house facilitator to deliver these sessions.

Since the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and Knowledge and Skills Framework competencies are listed for each topic, participants can include these reflective activities in a portfolio of evidence of continuing professional development.

We found the facilitation training day a worthwhile investment of our time. We are now equipped with the knowledge and skills to deliver these sessions in a practical, realistic and timely manner.

There are places available on future facilitators’ training days (details are on the CPPE website) at venues around England, and we would urge hospital-based colleagues who are responsible for education and training to consider attending one of these sessions.

John Persaud
Deputy Head of Pharmacy
Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust
Anne Noott
Education and Training Lead
Pharmacist
Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust

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