The General Pharmaceutical Council has today published new initial education and training (IET) standards for pharmacists, following the approval last month.
Responding to the news, Gail Fleming, RPS Director for Education and Professional Development, said:
“We welcome the publication of the new initial education and training standards from the GPhC, which marks a significant step forward for our profession. The pandemic has shone a light on the impact that pharmacists have, working across a range of sectors as key members of multi-professional teams. These new standards will enable pharmacists to better fulfil their roles as medicines experts and realise their potential as independent prescribers.
“We are delighted that the standards reflect the same domains used in post-registration, which supports a structured and seamless approach to development of a pharmacist’s career, from initial education and training through to consultant level practice.
“We are pleased that the changes outlined in the standards include improvements relating to equality, diversity and fairness as well as a focus on quality, which will ensure that all trainees experience high quality placements particularly in the foundation year.
“It’s essential that the necessary additional funding is provided for these standards, so they can be implemented correctly. We look forward to continuing our work with the GPhC and other stakeholders to ensure that students can fully see how this will affect their learning over the coming years.”
Click here to read the GB CPhO letter on the IET statement.