The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is undertaking a root and branch review of pharmacy education policy. This provides an opportunity to take a holistic approach to education across the pharmacy team and across the careers of individual pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. The programme will focus on different aspects of the education process for both pharmacists and technicians, including:
As the Society is not responsible for the entirety of pharmacy education and training with other organisations having responsibilities, in relation to the funding, providing and standard setting, this policy development programme will need be achieved in partnership with key stakeholders.
To see how the consultations link together to inform the Society's education policy development programme, click on the link below:
For more information on recent education policy consultations and the background to the policy programme, click on the links below:
One of the first activities of the education policy review programme was to establish a set of principles that will guide the development of pharmacy education and training, and specifically the Society’s review. This consultation sought feedback from key stakeholders on draft principles of pharmacy education and training. The purpose of these generic principles is to guide the development and review of education and training provision in pharmacy and as such all providers should be aiming to follow these principles. The consultation process actively sought to identify barriers to the implementation of the principles with a view to securing the appropriate resources and commitment to address these barriers with stakeholders.
The formal consultation period came to a close on 24 November 2006. For the resulting principles document and an analysis of the consultation responses, click on the links below:
The purpose of the second consultation was to establish the content of the education for prospective pharmacists.
Responses were invited by 30 November 2007. Contact for further information:
John SloanThe issue of student registration was raised in the Government's White Paper on the future of healthcare professional regulation, Trust, Assurance and Safety - The Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century, published on 21 February 2007.
The Society has consulted on student registration. Responses were invited by 9 November 2007. Contact for further information:
John Sloan Education Projects Policy ManagerThe Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain has consulted on its practice framework, which will describe the components of good pharmacy practice.
Responses were invited by 31 October 2007. Contact for further information:
John Sloan
Education Policy Projects Manager
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
1 Lambeth High Street
London SE1 7JN
Tel 020 7572 2276
email practiceframeworkconsultation@rpsgb.org
A number of projects and research studies relevant to this area of policy development are available on this website via the links below:
In addition, a series of briefing papers prepared for a Council strategy day, covering current education policy in a number of areas, are available here. Click on the links below:
Members of the Fit for the Future project team made a study tour to Canada in October 2005. The purpose was to learn about pharmacy education and regulation in Ontario and to generate knowledge that could be used in the Society’s education policy development programme. The tour explored the continuum of pharmacy education from initial qualification through to reaccreditation (revalidation) processes. For a report of the study tour, click on the link below: