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Developing the Pharmacy Workforce

For the workforce to feel valued and supported at all stages of their careers, they should have access to refocused education and training as well as ongoing development offers. 

We will work with other healthcare professions to deliver multidisciplinary training opportunities. These will foster professionally integrated ways of working and maximise the positives of training and working together.

Developing the pharmacy workforce

As we reflect on the milestones of our 2022 goals, enormous progress has been made in Wales.

Foundation Pharmacist training has seen great reforms with all Foundation Trainee Pharmacist positions across Wales becoming multi-sector.

Significant additional funding to support undergraduate placements in Wales has been secured to increase the number of placement weeks within the MPharm degree and ensure student pharmacists are able to meet the new standards, with HEIW ensuring the quality of these placements. .

Pharmacy technicians will have the opportunity to train across three pharmacy settings for the first time. HEIW’s modern apprenticeship Pre-Registration Pharmacy Technician Training Programme equips trainees with multisector experience, leading to a more sustainable and flexible workforce who understand the patient journey across healthcare settings. 

Nearly 30% of pharmacists in Wales are now prescribers, with more currently undergoing training and from 2026 all new registrants will be able and will expect to prescribe as part of their professional practise.

Consultant pharmacists are becoming increasingly important to provide leadership as well as senior clinical expertise in delivering care and driving change across the healthcare system. Further strategic development of consultant pharmacist posts will help to create the leadership required across Wales.

Leadership will not only be provided by those in senior posts, but through fostering a culture of leadership embedded at all levels.

2025 Goals

  • GOAL 5: Create an engaging work culture where leadership is empowered at all levels, wellbeing is prioritised, and supporting each other in learning and development becomes the norm
    + EXPAND
    We will achieve this by:

    5.1 Encouraging all pharmacy employers to support access to non-clinical training, including leadership courses and active wellbeing sessions.

    Measures May include:

    • Increased number of pharmacy team members accessing courses through accredited providers or their employers.

    5.2 Adopting a formalised career pathway for the profession as set out by the RPS and HEIW which actively encourages leadership as well as clinical and research development.

    • 30% of pharmacists on their credentialing journey, post-registration foundation, advanced or consultant.

    5.3 Creating an aligned approach to 5.2 for pharmacy technicians.

    • Formalised career pathway established for pharmacy technicians including exposure to all relevant pharmacy settings.

    5.4 Ensure flexibility to train and time to train and mentor others are embedded in workplans and are protected activities.

    Measures may include:

    • Adoption of principles of protected learning time by pharmacy employers.
    • Increase in number of pharmacy professionals engaging in formalised mentorship.

  • GOAL 6: Increase the understanding of pharmacy practice in all settings for early career pharmacy professionals through a multi-sector approach
    + EXPAND
    We will achieve this by:

    6.1 Providing all post-registration foundation pharmacists and pharmacy technicians with opportunities to develop their understanding of all pharmacy settings, shaping their early career and providing support for developing their advanced practice.

    Measures may include:

    • Collaborative working models led by employers for foundation pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
    • Trainee pharmacist places to meet workforce challenges and patient demand.

    6.2 Defining, piloting and implementing entrustable professional activities to facilitate the consistent transfer of standards of practice between pharmacy settings.

    Measures may include:

    • Entrustable professional activities developed, piloted and implemented.

    6.3 Increasing the exposure of undergraduate pharmacy students and pharmacy technicians in training to practice across all pharmacy settings.

    Measures may include:

    • Implementation of a clinical placement plan for undergraduate pharmacy students across all pharmacy settings.
  • GOAL 7: Enhance services available to patients by increasing capability and consistency of skills within pharmacy teams
    + EXPAND
    We will achieve this by:

    7.1 Expanding the services provided by pharmacy technicians as part of multi-disciplinary teams in all settings.

    Measures may include:

    • Inclusion of pharmacy technicians in current and new services.

    7.2 Encouraging skill mix to meet patient need. This will be achieved through a clear recruitment strategy designed to increase the number of pharmacy professionals as well as the non-registered team members as required by workforce planning forecasts. Pharmacy must be considered as part of the wider multidisciplinary team in this work.

    Measures may include:

    • Workforce data will be available across all pharmacy settings and in every locality across Wales.
    • Every pharmacy team in Wales will have a plan to ensure a pharmacy technician is in post by 2025 with opportunities for advanced practice clinical pharmacy technicians available.
    • Training opportunities are made available to all pharmacy team members including non-registered pharmacy staff for delivery and expansion of their roles.

    7.3 Ensuring all pharmacy professionals (employed and self-employed) committed to working in Wales are supported to access education and training and are capable of providing continuity of services for patients in Wales.

    Measures may include:

    • Adoption of a Charter for Pharmacy Professionals in Wales to ensure a consistent commitment to pharmacy practice by all pharmacy teams working in Wales.
  • GOAL 8: Establish a network of consultant pharmacists to provide leadership on clinical priority areas in Wales
    + EXPAND
    We will achieve this by:

    8.1 Introducing new consultant pharmacist positions to drive innovation and quality improvements across all pharmacy settings in response to local need and national priorities.

    Measures may include:

    • 25 consultant pharmacists in post by 2025 working across all pharmacy settings. Areas of clinical practice will include general medicine, sexual health, substance misuse, pharmacogenomics, mental health, palliative care and pain.

    8.2 Establishing support for pharmacists aspiring to become consultant-ready pharmacists through RPS credentialing.

    Measures may include:

    • 60 pharmacists will have achieved or being working towards consultant ready status.

    8.3 Utilising the expertise of consultants for patient outcomes across all sectors and developing the evidence base around the impact of consultant pharmacists on patient care and the MDT.

    Measures may include:

    • Areas of best practice identified and shared.

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The P:DaHW Developing the Workforce Sub-group Overview

To support the principles within ’Developing the Pharmacy Workforce’:

  • We will create quality training sites across Wales providing pre- and post-registration placements for pharmacy professionals
  • We will implement clear development pathways for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians from pre-foundation training through to advanced practice
  • We will continue to provide and develop leadership in medicines use and services across Wales.

The delivery of the 2022 goals as per P:DaHW document:

  • Network of funded training academies
  • Foundation program embedded for all pharmacy professionals
  • Consultant pharmacist roles in all sectors including community
  • Embedding structures that foster leadership.

The Delivery Board welcomed developments of these goals in line with the following:

  • Network of accredited training sites across Wales to provide cross sector and multidisciplinary training
  • Workforce development programme for pharmacy support staff
  • A specific goal to be developed for pharmacy technicians
  • Agree an appropriate early years programme for post registrants
  • A specific goal to be developed to address upskilling the legacy workforce 
  • A strategic plan to be agreed to support the development of consultant pharmacist posts in Wales in line with population needs
  • Further development of leadership goals within the pharmacy profession across Wales.

Statement:

HEIW have made significant progress in workforce development. There have been huge changes to support the education and training of Pharmacists in Training following the publication of the updated Initial Education and Training standards for pharmacists. 

Foundation Pharmacist (formerly known as pre-registration) training has seen great reforms, and all Foundation Trainee Pharmacist positions from August 2022 will be multi-sector across Wales. HEIW have developed a programme of training to support Post-Registration Foundation Pharmacists which commences in September 2022 and are developing a National Strategy for Consultant Pharmacists in Wales.

HEIW have also secured a new training provider for the Pre-Registration Pharmacy Technician programme in Wales, which will deliver a programme at Level 4 and will include enhanced skills for Pharmacy Technicians at the point of registration. The enhanced skills will support the delivery of the new community pharmacy contract.

See our high-level document regarding the Initial Education and training changes.

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