Advancing a global pharmacy support workforce through a global strategic platform.

The pharmacy support workforce (PSW) is the mid-level cadre of the global pharmacy profession, referring to pharmacy technicians, assistants and other cadres that assist in the delivery of pharmaceutical services in a variety of practice contexts. The PSW undertake technical tasks delegated under the supervision of a pharmacist or performed collaboratively. The PSW are not intended to replace pharmacists, but rather work side-by-side with the pharmacist to achieve a shared goal. However, extensive variation in the PSW exists globally, ranging from an educated, regulated, and highly effective workforce in some countries to unrecognized or non-existent in others. Vast differences in education requirements, specific roles, regulatory oversight, and need for pharmacist supervision, inhibit the development and advancement of a global PSW. As clinical care providers, pharmacists worldwide need for a competent support workforce. Without the confidence to delegate technical responsibilities to a well-trained and capable PSW, pharmacists will be unable to fully deliver advanced clinical roles. A clear vision for the role of the PSW in the expanding scope of pharmacy practice is needed. One organization working to unite global efforts in this area is the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). The FIP Workforce Development Hub Pharmacy Technicians & Support Workforce Strategic Platform was established to address the pharmacy workforce shortage in low and middle-income countries. Further developments were made in 2019, with the creation of a representative global PSW advisory panel, to provide guidance towards the development of the global PSW. Provision of frameworks and strategic input to support quality in education, development of legislative frameworks, guidelines for registration and licensure, and advice on appropriate role advancement are critical to move the PSW forward. In order to produce substantial advancement of roles and recognition of the PSW and advancement of pharmacists as patient care providers, global collaborative work is needed.

Structured block placements of hospital pre-registration trainee pharmacists in primary care medical practices across the United Kingdom: Lessons from a pilot scheme.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is increasing demand for suitably trained pharmacists to undertake clinical roles in primary care general practices across the United Kingdom. This necessitates development of sustainable training opportunities to both better prepare future registrants for such roles and raise awareness of the new career pathway. Educational activity and setting: Hospital pre-registration trainee pharmacists undertook four or eight-week placements in general practice as part of their training year. Trainees attended an introductory session and received educational support tools six weeks prior to their placements. Each trainee had an allocated clinical supervisor in general practice and maintained communication with their hospital tutor. On completion of all placements, trainees and general practice staff were asked to share perceptions and outcomes via online questionnaires. FINDINGS: Most trainees reported that the clinical supervision arrangements were satisfactory and found the placement workbook useful for guiding daily activities. Key benefits from the placements included enhanced understanding of the patient journey across healthcare sectors, increased confidence, and raised awareness of general practice as a career option. Main limitations included restricted opportunities to engage in patient-centred activities and lack of integration with general practice teams. All trainees stated that the presence of a general practice pharmacist was essential for learning support. SUMMARY: This model demonstrated the feasibility of structured block placements of trainee pharmacists in general practice with identified benefits for trainees and pharmacy workforce requirements. Future research:Identified key limitations to this model need further investigation, to improve the design of future placements.