Issues and opportunities for a common career path John A Cromarty Member of the Scottish Pharmacy Board Director of Pharmacy, NHS Highland

Issues & opportunities for today Pharmacists in all branches of the profession are having to advance their practice (e.g. all pharmacist prescribers; community pharmacists for care planning within CMS; industrial, academic and hospital pharmacists for significant advances in biotechnology) We are all pharmacists, irrespective of the branch(es) of the profession we work in, so can we create a common framework for developing pharmacy practice?

Let us connect these cogs….. Academic Pharmacists Let us connect these cogs….. Specialist Pharmacists Hospital Pharmacists …..get them moving Industrial Pharmacists Community Pharmacists Health Board Pharmacists …..and establish a common framework and consistent assessment and credentialing for advancing pharmacy practice! ….irrespective of location or specialty! Regulatory/Government Pharmacists Primary Care Pharmacists

Guiding principles for framework common to all branches of the profession accommodate both generalist and specialist advanced practice enable flexibility/adaptability in workforce facilitate integrated working across sectors recognise prior learning but be competency based rather than qualification based facilitate development of career structures avoid duplication of effort

Options for common framework RPS sets standards and runs the show Countries, sectors and employers could be consulted on their basic and advanced practice requirements Specialist pharmacy / multidisciplinary organisations / courses could be accredited by RPS Levels of practice could include the equivalent of ‘qualified’, ‘advanced’ and ‘expert’ practitioner (2, 3 or 4 levels?)

Stages of professional development Generic level descriptor Qualified Pharmacist/ Scientist Practitioner Registration level knowledge and practice skills, requires supervision Fully competent independent practitioner Advanced Pharmacist/ Scientist Practitioner Advanced level of practice and acts as a mentor Fully competent advanced practitioner, demonstrating leadership skills Expert Pharmacist/ Scientist Practitioner Local expert and leading practitioner with national recognition Nationally / internationally renowned leader in field of practice

Stages of professional development Community Pharmacy Qualified Pharmacist/ Scientist Practitioner Meets regulatory requirements for basic duties in community pharmacy Able to perform more complex community pharmacy contract core functions (e.g. care planning) unsupervised Advanced Pharmacist/ Scientist Practitioner Operates at advanced level of community pharmacy practice, mentoring if possible Established advanced level practitioner, working effectively at multidisciplinary team level &/or mentoring Expert Pharmacist/ Scientist Practitioner Local expert and leading practitioner with national recognition Nationally / internationally renowned leader in field of practice

Stages of professional development Hospital Pharmacy Qualified Pharmacist/ Scientist Practitioner Pharmacist on supervised specific vocational training programme Qualified to practice independently in hospital section(s) Advanced Pharmacist/ Scientist Practitioner Operates at advanced level of hospital pharmacy practice, mentoring if possible Established advanced level practitioner, leading team or Directorate Expert Pharmacist/ Scientist Practitioner Local expert and leading practitioner with national recognition Nationally / internationally renowned leader in field of practice

Stages of professional development Academic Pharmacy Qualified Pharmacist/ Scientist Practitioner Postgraduate researcher/teaching fellow, qualified but supervised for research/ teaching Researcher/Senior Teaching Fellow/ Lecturer, working independently Advanced Pharmacist/ Scientist Practitioner Operates at advanced level(s) of research and/or teaching as a Lecturer Established advanced level researcher and/or Senior Lecturer/ Course Supervisor/ Leader/Director Expert Pharmacist/ Scientist Practitioner Local expert and leading researcher / teacher with national recognition Nationally / internationally renowned leader in field of practice

Issues for another day ? Motivating and incentivising pharmacists to develop their practice Different stages of development and different opportunities in different branches of the profession Management remains a recognised route (sometimes the only route) to career progression