Boots injects up to £7k per pharmacist on independent prescribing training
The multiple is investing in providing training bursaries to some of its pharmacists, in a bid to “accelerate” equipping all its branches with an independent prescriber.
The bursaries – worth up to £7,000 per pharmacist – will let 500 Boots pharmacists to take time off work to complete independent prescribing training, the multiple announced today (July 19).
A Boots spokesperson told C+D today that the courses will be covered by “funding from statutory education bodies where available”.
When no such funding is available, the multiple will pay the whole cost of the course for up to 500 of its pharmacists, the spokesperson said. Pharmacists whose training is paid for by Boots will still receive the £7,000 bursary allowing them to take time off work while they study.
Boots has invited its pharmacists to apply for the bursaries, for General Pharmaceutical Council-accredited courses starting in September.
In providing bursaries, Boots hopes to “accelerate its capacity to offer prescribing services in more of its stores”, the multiple said.
Read more: HEE seeks bids to fund over 3,000 independent prescribing training places
Chief pharmacist Marc Donovan said the multiple aims to have a pharmacist prescriber in all its branches over “the coming years”.
Increasing the number of independent prescribers in community pharmacies “will save time and money for GPs and other parts of the NHS”, he added.
News follows “successful” prescribing trial
Last year, Boots trialled an in-branch private prescribing service in 10 of its pharmacies in England and will introduce it across more premises “in the coming months”, it wrote.
Under the initiative, pharmacists can issue prescriptions for around 60 medicines to treat conditions such as cystitis, acne, eczema and dermatitis, and impetigo. Patients pay £14.99 for a consultation and a further charge for private prescriptions to be dispensed.
Read more: Independent prescribing training: which costs are covered?
The multiple also offers free independent prescribing services to patients in 15 branches in Scotland and six in Wales.
Last week, C+D reported that Boots had opened its flu vaccine bookings early in response to “huge demand”.
Read more: Independent prescribing one of new England pharmacy chief’s main priorities
Catch up with C+D's seventh Big Debate, which asked: “Is getting an independent prescribing qualification worth it?”
