Pharmacy education
The pharmacy department at our Trust—which includes Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital—prides itself on the excellent educational opportunities we offer to all staff members. We believe that an organisation that trains well delivers better patient care, so our educational mission is to equip our staff to do this.
We aim to deliver excellence in education in the following ways:
- Using qualified pharmacy staff as tutors to coordinate educational activities as well as their clinical duties
- Ensuring compliance to trust mandatory training requirements
- Delivering appropriate experience for work-based learning and workplace assessment as part of pre-registration and foundation pharmacy training—for resident pharmacists, trainee pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, apprentice pre-registration trainee technicians and apprentice pharmacy assistants
- Innovating in the education of the pharmacy staff to ensure that the pharmacy department is at the forefront of changes
The excellent reputation of the pharmacy department for education and training has been maintained over many years and supports the Trust initiatives to be a world class centre for clinical education.
Rotational training posts
Resident pharmacists
The pharmacy departments are accredited training centres for the Postgraduate Diploma in General Pharmacy Practice of the Joint Programmes Board (South East England). This programme is central to the training and development of newly qualified pharmacists. It ensures that academic development runs parallel with their day-to-day work in the pharmacy, on the wards and while on call as a resident pharmacist.
Workplace-based assessment ensures that development is monitored and tailored to the individual practitioner. The programme allows our resident pharmacists to develop competence as well as prepare them for more senior positions within the NHS in the future.
Trainee pharmacists
The pharmacy departments offer a comprehensive 1-year training programme for trainee pharmacists. The course is managed by a designated Education Programme Director and aims to develop competence in all areas of pharmacy practice. Trainees gain exposure to several clinical specialities during their training which may include Paediatrics, HIV, Intensive Care, Surgery, Medicine and Mental Health depending on site. Clinical tutorials and team meetings complement our in-house and regional training schemes.
Recruitment is via a national scheme Oriel.
Pharmacy Summer Vacation Student
The pharmacy department offers a four-week hospital pharmacy summer placement programme. This is designed to give third year pharmacy students an opportunity to work as part of a large team delivering pharmacy services to patients, carers, healthcare professional and other services users. The programme delivers knowledge and insight into hospital pharmacies in clinical and non-clinical settings. Summer vacation students are assigned to specific directorate teams and are given the opportunity to work on assigned service development projects.
- We offer four weeks unpaid work experience in June, July and August—2024 applications are closed, check back later in the year for 2025 applications
- Download an information pack about summer placements
Newly qualified pharmacy technicians
The Pharmacy Departments offers a pharmacy technician programme which is designed to help newly qualified pharmacy technicians gain leadership experience to facilitate career development and professional growth. The Management fundamentals programme is the first fundamental step of Chelsea and Westminster Trust management and leadership journey, it extends the Trust management and leadership career pathway. There are also opportunities for newly qualified pharmacy technicians to gain leadership training through nationally recognised external leadership and management programmes.
Pre-registration trainee pharmacy technicians
The Pharmacy Department offers a comprehensive 2-year training programme for pre-registration trainee pharmacy technicians. This training is provided on both sites and by means of a 1-day per week either via college attendance or distance learning. During the two years, trainees rotate through the following specialist sections: Inpatients Dispensary, Outpatients Dispensary, Outpatients Pharmacy, Distribution, Technical Services, Goods Receipt, Buying Office, Medicines Information, Medicines Management, Clinical, Clinical Trials, a Specialist week and Clinical Governance & Audit. On completion of this training programme, successful candidates are awarded the Pearson BTEC Level 3 Diploma in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Technicians.
We aim to recruit once a year for Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technicians for September intake.
Pharmacy assistants
Pharmacy Assistants and Higher Level Pharmacy Assistants have the opportunity to work in the following specialist sections, Distribution, Goods Receipt, and Dispensary. The assistants also get to spend time on the wards to complete medicine top ups and stock management tasks. The pharmacy assistants also have the opportunity to undertake a unit towards the Level 2 NVQ in Pharmacy Services. This is an ideal way to gain experience within a hospital pharmacy setting.