GPhC outlines plans to overhaul pharmacy training
The “rapidly changing” environment and findings of Francis report mean greater focus on communication skills and professionalism is necessary, says GPhC chief executive Duncan Rudkin
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has set out a timeframe for revamping pharmacists' training to meet the demands of today's "rapidly changing" environment.
Pharmacists will have a chance to give their views on the proposals, which put a greater emphasis on communication skills, via a three-month consultation that begins in September. Work to implement the standards will start in April next year, the GPhC announced at its council meeting last week (April 10).
The regulator first set out its plans in September last year with the aim of ensuring pharmacists are well trained to fulfil the roles of professional, scientist, leader and clinician by the end of their MPharm degree. Although there will be no set rules for how universities must teach, they will be expected to produce graduates with the desired capabilities, the GPhC said.
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The consultation will give patients the opportunity to say what they want from pharmacists, says GPhC chief executive Duncan Rudkin |
 More on student training
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The GPhC has set out desired learning outcomes for each of the four roles (see below), which include the abilities to make sound professional judgements, operate within a multi-disciplinary team and build rapport with patients. |
Integrated pre-reg training to drive up standards|
GPhC chief executive Duncan Rudkin said now is a "good time" to review pharmacy training. "Pharmacy is changing quite rapidly... bearing in mind everything the profession is trying to do [to maximise] its contribution to public health," he told C+D in an exclusive interview on April 11. Mr Rudkin named communication as an increasingly important skill for pharmacists. The profession is becoming ever-more patient-facing, Mr Rudkin explained, which makes public opinion an important part of its development. He said the consultation will give patients the opportunity to voice "what they [are] looking for" from the pharmacists of the future. "[It] will be an opportunity to have a good discussion with the public and the profession about what newly registered pharmacists should be achieving, bearing in mind that not only is practice changing rapidly now, but also people coming onto the register will have a lifetime of increasingly rapid change," Mr Rudkin said. The regulator was "very aware" of the modern NHS landscape, especially the Francis report on the NHS Mid Staffordshire scandal, when drafting the proposals, Mr Rudkin said. The report's findings of poor patient treatment "clearly related" to the GPhC's plans to strengthen the emphasis on professionalism and communication, he added. "We're looking to understand what it means to take professional responsibility and accountability and all of those themes," Mr Rudkin told C+D. |
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The skillsWhat the GPhC wants to see from future pharmacists Role 1: Professional ● Make professional judgements in a "systematic and reasoned way" ● Adapt to different working environments, including home visits and e-pharmacy ● Put patient safety first Role 2: Scientist and researcher ● Understand drug design, synthesis and discovery ● Search for research evidence to back up service delivery ● Use scientific knowledge to explain and predict how drugs work, interact and cause toxicity Role 3: Leader and manager ● Understand the importance of listening to patients ● Operate effectively in a multi-disciplinary team ● Provide input into local and national public health policies ● Delegate tasks effectivelyRole 4: Clinician and prescriber ● Involve patients in their care ● Build rapport with patients and listen effectively ● Identify non-adherence to medication and its underlying causes |
But the GPhC acknowledged that the lack of clinical funding for the pharmacy degree will limit what is possible. In September, the regulator voiced concerns that clinical outcomes cannot be delivered effectively while pharmacy only receives funding as a science subject.
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Will the GPhC's plans equip pharmacists for the future?
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