The Pharmacist in Primary Care

Posted by jchoules

9 May 2017

A training course for pharmacists to have extended patient-facing roles in primary care

There was certainly demand for the course. Forty-two pharmacists applied for sixteen places on the University of Exeter’s ‘The Pharmacist in Primary Care – an Introduction’ continuing professional development course. Pharmacists were selected to be a participant on their written descriptions of their previous experience, future career plans and motivation for developing extended roles within new models of primary care. We wanted to recruit interested, enthusiastic pharmacists. We wanted to recruit pharmacy trailblazers.

There has been national recognition for pharmacists making these exciting career transitions into patient-facing roles in primary care. A national pilot was one of the primary care supporting measures announced in the General Practice Forward View. This comes on a background of growing realisations that pharmacists’ skills are underutilised in traditional dispensing workplace roles. Roles that are reducing for pharmacists due to technological advances or because tasks are being performed by pharmacy technicians. Their 4-year Master degree training and 1-year as a Pre-registration pharmacist mean they are highly knowledgeable and skilled in many aspects of health-related medication use. Integrating pharmacists into general practice teams is seen to be an effective way to ensure that patients, carers and colleagues can benefit from their medication expertise. It is hoped that this face-to-face professional pharmacy contact will make a positive difference to patient outcomes.
The 16 pharmacists came for 6 days of training at the University of Exeter Medical School. A varied programme was delivered, consisting of clinical skills training, case-based discussions and multiprofessional expert speakers. Evaluation of the training showed that the pharmacists valued the education with the hands-on clinical skills training in the well-equipped Clinical Skills Resource Centre with volunteer patients, being a universal highlight. The pharmacists rated highly the motivational way that the course was delivered which meant that perceived confidence for these new roles was being developed as well as competence.

This is only the beginning for the changing identities, the changing roles and changing future for pharmacists in primary care. As with any evolution, education, learning-by-doing and reflection is needed as new ways of working emerge. These are exciting times for patients, pharmacists and primary care teams. A journey that UEMS has been involved in right from the start, educationally supporting and promoting these trailblazing pharmacists to reach their potential.

The Pharmacist in Primary Care project was funded by NHS Education South West.
Laura Sims
May 2017