Building on the success of its existing Pharmacy four-year degree plus one year pre-registration training programme, Scotland has announced plans to explore options to develop an integrated five-year pharmacy programme with a view to further improve the current training arrangements.
The current one year Pre-Registration Pharmacist Scheme (PRPS) in Scotland is managed by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) for the 170 trainees and funded through the Scottish Government. NES manages the national recruitment, training programmes and quality management processes for the PRPS. Unique in the UK, it is recognised as a successful scheme and has allowed trainees to benefit from a standardised training programme in which they and their tutors, are fully supported to meet the requirements of the pharmacy regulator.
‘These developments should lead to further integration of undergraduate education and pre-registration training and better prepare new pharmacists for practice in Scotland,’ said Scotland’s Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, Professor Rose Marie Parr. ‘Another benefit will be improved management of pharmacy trainee numbers to meet workforce demands both in terms of initial recruitment and on-going career progression and this supports Ministerial priorities to strengthen the workforce, especially in primary care.’