Health Education England (HEE) has announced launch of a new funded Independent Prescriber courses for pharmacists to be made available before March 2022.
Places are available for both Independent Prescribing (IP) and Clinically Enhanced Independent Prescribing (CEPIP), and eligible pharmacists are encouraged to apply to the course providers directly.
This follows NHS England and NHS Improvement’s announcement in November 2021 that the Pharmacy Integration Programme would invest up to £15.9 million over the next four years to boost pharmacy professional career development.
These courses will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, and a further round of funded Independent Prescriber training will be made available from Autumn 2022.
The independent prescriber guide offers practical guidance and support on the prescriber role, such as how to become an independent prescriber, applying for an IP course, or expanding the scope of practice.
Besides, practical guidance on issues such as finding a Designated Prescribing Practitioner, repeat prescribing, and prescribing safely and legally will also be offered.
Commenting on the announcement, Alastair Buxton, director of NHS Services at PSNC, said: “Independent prescribing will be at the heart of many future developments in community pharmacy services, so this initial offer is a welcome start to support community pharmacists to develop their skills, particularly those who were already planning to commence training early in 2022.
“HEE are now putting in place the next phase of this IP training programme, so there will be many more opportunities for pharmacists to access training later in the year.”
Cat Smith, Labour MP for Lancaster and Wyre