Funding is vital to support the pharmacy profession especially in terms of CPD and advancing skills. The below funding opportunities are currently available to pharmacists in Wales and England.
Wales - Undergraduate funding
According to Pharmacy Magazine, The Welsh Government has committed additional investment to provide pharmacy students at universities with more hands-on training in clinical placements.
Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) has agreed new plans with the schools of pharmacies at Cardiff and Swansea universities that will give pharmacy undergraduates extra days of supervised placements in hospitals, GP practices and community pharmacies as part of their four-year course.
The additional funding announced today (August 4) will rise to more than £2.7m per year by April 2025, said HEIW. It said pharmacy schools will be able to access this funding “from the next academic year,” adding that funding will also be provided to help cover the costs of travel and accommodation during the placements, which will take place in all health boards across Wales.
England - Independent prescribing courses
According the the Pharmaceutical Journal, pharmacists in England are now able to apply for thousands of funded independent prescribing training places.
Places are available to pharmacists working in primary care networks, NHS trusts, community, general practice, integrated care boards and those in prisons and secure environments.
By 2026, IP training will form part of the pharmacy foundation training year — meaning that all pharmacists who successfully pass the registration assessment will become independent prescribers. Ahead of this, stakeholders, such as the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, have said that all members of the current pharmacist workforce should also be able to access IP training if they want it.
In May 2022, the General Pharmaceutical Council removed requirements for pharmacists to have been registered for two years before beginning IP training. Instead, they need to demonstrate relevant experience in a pharmacy setting and show they can recognise, understand and articulate the skills and attributes required by a prescriber, which will be assessed by the IP course provider.
Locate Learning
Locate Learning is an industry first initiative that allows registered users to our platform free access to a library of pharmacy e-learning content. This includes over 1,000 learning modules, videos, and articles covering various topics including pharmacy management, clinical knowledge, and practice requirements, these can all be tailored to your job role.
When you sign up to Locate Learning you will be able to access a personal learning log to track and analyse the modules and courses you complete on the platform. In line with GPhC revalidation requirements, you will be able to plan and record your CPD, reflective accounts, and peer discussions. If you have any questions about getting registered with the platform get in contact here.