Keele University is partnering with De Montfort University, the University of Bath, and Health Education England (HEE) to deliver masters-level training for qualified post-registration community pharmacists in the Midlands and East, and London and South East NHS regions.

Post-registration Training for Pharmacists is supported by NHS England and Health Education England (HEE) through the Pharmacy Integration Fund (PhIF). It will strengthen and diversify the pharmacy workforce and help to improve patient care. The fund has been set up by NHS England to enable pharmacist and pharmacy technician integration in primary care as part of new multidisciplinary healthcare teams, making the most of their clinical skills, particularly for the benefit of people with long-term conditions.

Jacqui Kinsey, Reader in Prescribing Education and the Postgraduate Academic Director for the Centre of Professional Development and Lifelong Learning (CPD4ALL) within the School of Pharmacy at Keele University, said:

“We are delighted to have been selected to deliver postgraduate education for community pharmacists in the Midlands and East, and London and South East NHS regions.

“The training programmes that have been commissioned by Health Education England through the Pharmacy Integration Fund will help to integrate the role of the community pharmacist in multidisciplinary healthcare teams, making the most of their specific knowledge of the medicines to improve healthcare outcomes for our population.”

Community pharmacists can choose to take a single module or range of modules, with different credit values, dependent on their development needs or interests, with a maximum of 60 credits per learner per year (60 credits is equivalent to a postgraduate certificate).

*Find out about the range of modules available here*

HEE has worked with stakeholders and partners, including the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and pharmacy professional bodies, to develop these flexible and accessible blended learning solutions. Courses will cover five strands, which are service improvement; extended skills; patient activation; delivering medicines optimisation; and NHS England priorities.

Speaking about the Centre for Professional Development and Lifelong Learning at Keele School of Pharmacy, Ms Kinsey commented:

“CPD4ALL are recognised as leaders in the delivery of postgraduate education by distance learning and are thus well placed to support their learners in developing skills for the emerging extended roles of community pharmacists whilst they maintain their current working role.”

Professor Wendy Reid, Executive Director of Education and Quality & National Medical Director, Health Education England said:

“Making sure the workforce has the right skills, behaviours and values to enable effective multidisciplinary team working and integration within the NHS, is key to the long-term sustainability of the NHS.

"The Pharmacy Integration Fund is enabling us to work with our stakeholders to develop this innovative and engaging new training as part of our broader agenda to drive workforce transformation across the NHS to support locally delivered integrated care models."

Bruce Warner, Deputy Chief Pharmaceutical Officer at NHS England, said:

“The NHS wants pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to play an increasing clinical role in improving outcomes for patients. The aim is to better integrate pharmacists as clinical professionals into wider primary care by enabling them to spend more time delivering clinical and public health services."

For information about the full range of fully-funded workforce development opportunities offered for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, please visit the HEE website