Strategic level pharmacists in primary care: Activity, training and development needs

Aim. To investigate the training needed by, and provided for, strategic level pharmacists working in primary care of organisations. Design. Self-completion survey, documentary analysis and analysis of training. Subject and setting. 196 primary care pharmacists, 15 job descriptions and person specifications, schools of pharmacy and other relevant providers. Method. The response rate was 65% (128); 69% were women and the majority had worked in primary care for less than six years. Three quarters of respondents had line management responsibilities for other pharmacists and 39% for technicians. Topics clearly indicated for further training were: financial planning/bidding processes in primary care organizations; national NHS policy; commissioning and local contracting of community pharmacy services. Overall 97% agreed that "pharmacists working in primary care need training in management skills". Most training offered by schools of pharmacy and other providers focused on therapeutics with little, if any, management content. Conclusions. Primary care pharmacists working at strategic level expressed needs for training in areas outside the traditional prescribing and medicines management remit of pharmaceutical advisers. These needs reflect the changing role and developing roles of pharmacists in primary care. There is currently a gap in training and development provision for pharmacists in primary care that needs to be addressed.