PJ Online | P&MM: "Develop yourself" workshops hailed

Prescribing & Medicines Management
Issue no 3, p15
May/June 2003

Features

"Develop yourself" workshops hailed

Annie Coppel, Chair, Faculty of Prescribing and Medicines Management, College of Pharmacy Practice

Faculty associates who attended the Faculty of Prescribing and Medicines Management first series of education workshops, entitled "Develop Yourself: skills for personal and professional development" have deemed them to be a success.

One of the main benefits of joining the FPMM is having access to education and training events that are tailored to support both personal and professional development and 200 FPMM associates recently took up this continuing professional development opportunity.

What the delegates said about the courses

"Being able to take time out from a busy week to concentrate on my personal development with interesting, like-minded people from a variety of career paths with excellent course leaders – excellent!"

"Absolutely brilliant course. It is rare that you come away from a course promising to do things differently and then actually doing it differently."

"It was a great opportunity to learn the theory behind some management techniques and the workshops were run in a practical and relevant manner, which has allowed me to put into practice some of the techniques learned,"

"It was a great networking opportunity but it also helped me understand why things don't happen the way you want, and provided some very useful approaches to dealing with problems."

"My professional role requires skills taught in all the modules…and I now feel more confident to be able to fulfil my role."

"Tailor-made courses on management skills relevant to my job are not readily available. The workshops have enabled me to apply my learning to the realities of managing myself and my team."

Four modules, each a one-day interactive workshop, were offered eight times between September 2002 and March 2003. The content reflected the training needs identified as important in this specialist role, and focused on developing individuals, increasing both the contribution they make to their organisation, but more importantly the contribution they can make to their own job satisfaction. Modules one and two covered personal and managerial leadership, team development and effective communication. Modules three and four covered personal responsibility, problem solving and developing outcomes related to role and workplace.

The large number of practical sessions relating directly to prescribing and medicines management practice provided an ideal opportunity to put modern management theory into a realistic context, which could be readily used in the working environment. Addressing specific elements of the FPPM competency framework, they also supported the progression of associates towards becoming recognised and accredited specialist practitioners.

More than 75 per cent of delegates attended three or more of the modules, and the evaluation (90 per cent response rate) of all four modules revealed that:

• 94 per cent thought the workshops exceeded their expectations

• 82 per cent thought the workshops exceeded their learning objectives

• 88 per cent thought the workshops more informative than expected

• 82 per cent thought the workshops exceeded their expectations in terms of practical application

• 97 per cent rated the facilitators as excellent

Such has been the success of this programme, that the sponsors have offered to support a further series of modules 1-4 for new FPMM associates, or those who were unable to attend any of the modules the first time around. In addition, two new modules are being added on influencing skills and strategic thinking and planning. These will address additional training needs identified from a survey of over 100 associates attending the first series.

Each module will be held in a wide range of accessible locations throughout the UK (modules 1-4 will run three times, and modules 5 and 6 will run nine times). Register early if you are interested, as places fill up fast! The programme will start in September and details will mailed out and posted on the website early summer.