Wales Centre for Pharmacy Professional Education (WCPPE) is committed to delivering learning and development opportunities to meet the rapidly changing landscape of pharmacy practice within Wales. We work closely with the Welsh government, and with our colleagues in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, in addition to NHS Wales and professional bodies, to ensure a cohesive approach.
On 6th July, the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport, Vaughan Gething, released a statement about the formation of the new organisation, Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW), by April 2018.
HEIW will be responsible for all healthcare professional education and workforce development and will be formed by a number of organisations merging. Over the coming months, consideration will be given as to whether all or part of WCPPE functions will be moved to HEIW.
This change will have the potential to bring new opportunities for a multidisciplinary approach to healthcare education.
As pharmacy increasingly works within multidisciplinary teams, WCPPE already recognises the need to offer more opportunities for pharmacy to learn together with our healthcare colleagues.
We offer regular multidisciplinary networking events that offer the benefit of learning from and with other healthcare professionals, and are live-streamed for those who are unable to attend in person.
WCPPE is currently working on a foundation programme for community pharmacists and we hope to be offering some places before the end of March 2018.
More information was available on this, and other developments, at our engagement event ‘Working Together to Develop the Primary Care Workforce’ on 21st November in Cardiff, aimed at education and training leads in Wales.
WCPPE are accredited by City and Guilds to deliver the Level 2 NVQ Certificate in Pharmacy Service Skills (QCF) and Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Pharmacy Service Skills (QCF), and work with pharmacy technician trainees in all sectors. We are also a contracted Training Provider, delivering apprenticeships across Wales. If you are interested in employing a trainee pharmacy technician, Modern Apprenticeship funding may be available (subject to funding criteria).
For more information, email Wendy Penny at PennyWD@cardiff.ac.uk.
We have also been busy developing and piloting new Level 4 programmes for pharmacy technicians to further develop their valuable skills. Following the successful pilot of the first programme, ‘Delivering Pharmacy Public Health Services’, our next pilot ‘Consultation Skills for Pharmacy Technicians’ started in September. A third pilot around professionalism is currently in development.
As you will all be aware, the consultation on GPhC pharmacy professional revalidation closed on 17th July 2017. There are changes to the process for pharmacy professionals to maintain registration and I urge you all to regularly visit the GPhC website for information and make sure you read updates through the GPhC Regulate newsletter. When the process for re-validation is finalised, WCPPE will be working to support you to meet GPhC requirements.
As the changes to the community pharmacy contract emerge, WCPPE is working closely with organisations to ensure we can provide educational support required to deliver on the contractual changes. This work has already started with the National Enhanced Services Assessment (NESA) project.
NATIONAL ENHANCED SERVICES ACCREDITATION
Our aim is to introduce a streamlined process for enhanced services accreditation in Wales, making it simpler to obtain accreditation, in line with the Welsh government’s requirements.
OBJECTIVES:
• Modernise the enhanced services accreditation process through online delivery and engagement
• Improve access to training to deliver skills necessary for effective existing and future enhanced services
• Recognise and unify the consultation skills of pharmacy professionals by introducing a generic skills assessment which will cover all enhanced services
The new process for providing enhanced services will be called ‘certification’ and allow pharmacy professionals to tailor the learning process to suit them while focusing on CPD.
• It is the first step towards a self-declaration of competence model
• The process will be automated to reduce unnecessary repetition whie increasing efficiency
• Re-certification will be required every three years without any mandatory assessment
There are already 250 pharmacy professionals signed up to the pilot phase, who are actively providing input into the new accreditation process. Assessment will include innovative methods of assessment, including video critique and a consultation conducted with online virtual patients, or Avatars, to provide feedback.
If you have any queries about NESA, or want to join the pilot phase, email Steluta Grama at GramaS@cardiff.ac.uk.
Summing up the current situation, there is clearly lots of change within the pharmacy profession.
To support the changes, WCPPE is working in partnership with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, health boards, and the Welsh government to provide clear developmental pathways for all pharmacy professionals to support both existing and emerging roles.
The recognition and support within the Welsh government for pharmacy’s role in contributing to patient care makes us optimistic about the future opportunities for the profession.