The rollout of the national scheme next year could mean pharmacies not taking part are “seen as [less] desirable” by prospective trainees, a Pharmacy Voice spokesperson told C+D on Monday (August 22).

“We have emphasised the importance of creating a level playing field [with hospital pharmacies] to ensure the sector's credibility,” said the lobbying group, which is working with Health Education England (HEE) on the scheme.

Pharmacy Voice stressed that it remains up to individual businesses to decide whether or not to take part in the scheme.

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) called for community pharmacy employers to express their interest in the scheme, on behalf of HEE last week.

Offering placements as part of the centrally allocated system will be mandatory for hospital pharmacies that host pre-reg trainees, but "optional" for those in community pharmacy, it said.

Payment for placements

England’s chief pharmaceutical officer Keith Ridge predicted in November 2015 that if England did adopt a centralised pre-reg recruitment scheme, students who did not manage to secure a placement centrally may have to “pay for themselves”.

NHS England told C+D this week that it could not confirm whether Mr Ridge still holds these views and it “can’t speculate on what the outcome of [HEE’s scheme] will be”.

The scheme is currently planned to run in England only. Scotland will continue with its own national scheme and Wales has "not yet made a decision" how it will recruit in 2017, HEE confirmed.

Boots told C+D on Monday (August 22) that it is in talks with HEE about the scheme, but stressed that it is “too early” to reveal whether it will take part.