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Hospital pharmacy education and training
  1. Roisín O'Hare
  1. Correspondence to Roisin O'Hare, Lead Teacher Practitioner Pharmacist, NI University Network; r.ohare{at}qub.ac.uk

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In the 1990s, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) launched a vision for pharmacy known as ‘pharmacy in a new age’ (PIANA).1 PIANA raised the profile of the profession and demonstrated that pharmacists were not only prepared but also qualified to provide increasing contributions to the wider National Health Service agendas. This programme of development was expanded in the ‘fit for the future’ programme2 which spearheaded improvements in pharmacy education, including: investment in research and development; development of a pharmacy student code of conduct and fitness to practice systems;3 as well as inspiring standards for education and training.4 Along with structural changes to the professional leadership body (RPSGB) and regulator (General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)) and considering the goals for future practice described in recent government white papers,5 ,6 the profession has reflected upon existing undergraduate course and its ability to deliver competent practitioners who are able to put patients first. Fundamentally, the pharmacy profession is required to be adaptable and flexible, and it must be able to demonstrate the benefit of pharmacy practice on real patient outcomes. Modernising Pharmacy Careers (MPC)7 workstream 1 proposed the integration of the preregistration year for pharmacy undergraduates within the current 4 year degree, extending it to a 5 year course, for all universities in the UK, to facilitate an increasing focus for students on practice based activities and the application of knowledge into practice. MPC is part of ‘Medical Education England’ which will convert to ‘Health Education England’ within the next 12 months. Although this work is led by England, the other …

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Footnotes

  • Competing interests None.

  • Provenance and peer review Commissioned; internally peer reviewed.