Features

First fellowship of FPMM announced

Peter Burrill, a specialist pharmaceutical adviser in public health at Derbyshire County Primary Care Trust, qualified as the first fellow of the Faculty of Prescribing and Medicines Management in April 2007. “I am proud and honoured to be the first fellow of the faculty and consider it to be a rewarding personal achievement,” he said.

Mr Burrill became an associate member of the faculty in 2001. Becoming a full member of the faculty involved building a portfolio of competence for assessment. This included an employment record, details of publications and conference presentations, a record of his CPD, and a key section on reflective practice.

He also had to submit a detailed report on how he met the College of Pharmacy Practice’s “core and supporting aspects” and the faculty’s competences. As a result, Mr Burrill became a practitioner member and was granted an advanced award in 2005.

In 2006, the faculty asked Mr Burrill if he wished to be considered for assessment for fellowship — something it was offering to all members with an advanced award. Having regularly maintained his portfolio, he just needed to update his submission. Fellowship requires three competency clusters to be assessed at mastery level and three at an excellence level.

Mr Burrill provides strategic input into the prescribing and clinical effectiveness agenda locally. He is involved with the appraisal of evidence, evaluation of new drugs and guideline development. Mr Burrill said that achieving fellowship of the faculty reinforced his self-belief to practise as a specialist within his field. “I would encourage all pharmacists with an interest to consider working towards membership of the faculty,” he added.