Advanced practice toolkit

Pharmacists are experts in medicines and their use. They support the health of the population and manage people with acute and long-term conditions across all sectors of healthcare. Pharmacists work closely with people, carers/families, and the multidisciplinary health and social care team to deliver safe, effective, and holistic person-centred care including pharmaceutical care through a wide range of services. Advanced pharmacists have the knowledge, skills, and expertise to be able to deliver care for people with more complex needs and with a higher degree of autonomy than less experienced pharmacists. They have the skills to be able to transform care delivery at a service, team or organisational level through, leadership, education and research.

Pharmacy more recently recognised the requirement to quality assure the level of service delivered by pharmacists working at an advanced level in patient facing roles. The result is the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) core advanced pharmacist curriculum launched in June 2022. This articulates a UK wide entry-level standard to advanced pharmacist practice, relevant to all patient-focussed pharmacist roles across the four pillars of practice

Pharmacists are advised to seek supervision from a range of supervisors and expert mentors to develop across the four pillars.

Current scoping work aims to define pharmacist advanced practice and workforce requirements in the Scottish context, in line with the ‘Transforming Roles’ framework for other professions. Health boards are being encouraged to consider implementation of pharmacy advanced practice in line with NHS England Workforce Education and Training Directorate previously known as  Health Education England’s maturity matrix.

Currently there are no restrictions on the use of ‘advanced’ pharmacist. Similar to the Nursing & Midwifery Council, the General Pharmaceutical Council may consider options for future regulation.