Critical care career pathway approved
Critical care pharmacy practice took a step forward with the Department of Health approval of a specialist career pathway. The DoH document, “New
ways of working — adult
critical care specialist pharmacy practice”,
issues guidance on the practice, skills and experience needed by pharmacists
wishing to specialise in adult critical care.
This provides a clear outline for the career path as a critical care
pharmacist from foundation to consultant pharmacist.
The aim of the DoH is to improve the outcome of critically ill patients
by delivering high quality pharmacy services and ensuring pharmacists
are trained within a recognised competency framework for the NHS. The
document also identifies the need for different levels of practice, peer
review and support from colleagues in a critical care network (or equivalent).
The guidance states that, in order to achieve these objectives, roles
need to be defined, expertise shared, specialist competencies identified
and new standards of working adopted.
Catherine McKenzie, principal critical care pharmacist at Guys and St
Thomas’ Hospital NHS Foundation Trust commented that “this
will help pharmacists gain the experience needed to provide optimum pharmaceutical
care to critically ill patients.” She also believed that “the
support for an agreed career path for critical care pharmacists will
contribute to the development of a national template for consultant pharmacists.”
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Hospital Pharmacist