The Government will train 50 community-based specialist mental health pharmacists

The government has outlined in the ‘NHS People Plan’ that it will be training fifty community-based specialist mental health pharmacists, as part of its concentration on the future mental health personnel.

The long-overdue plan was expected to be published nearer the end of 2019 and was expected to cover five years; however, the document will now include what the NHS people can expect for the rest of this year, going into next year. Furthermore, the plan also verifies earlier reports that a pharmacy foundation year will substitute the current preregistration year from next year.

The document states: “The key elements of the reform will be replacing the current preregistration year with a foundation year and enhancing clinical experience in initial education and training. This continuous, educational programme for pharmacists will still be 5 years in duration and will link into advanced practice and research training.”

Chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s English Pharmacy Board, Claire Anderson, stated: “If we are to realise the ambition to create a sustainable supply of prescribing pharmacists, this must be supported by appropriate funding. Our members have been telling us about the importance of health and wellbeing support, sufficient rest breaks and protected time and it’s welcome to see this reflected in the latest part of the People Plan. COVID-19 has highlighted the real need for pharmacy to be integrated as part of the NHS family, so it’s vital that all pharmacists and staff delivering NHS services can access the right support wherever they might work.”