Clinical pharmacy became well established in UK hospital pharmacy practice during the 1980s as a result of both the profession’s aspirations and government policy.
Recent developments
Clinical pharmacy
became well established in UK hospital pharmacy practice during the 1980s as a
result of both the profession’s aspirations and government policy. The role of
pharmacists and support staff in managing medi-cines, both at organisational
and individual levels, was seen as being crucial to delivering clinical and
cost-effective treatment. This led to a drive to improve the
training of pharmacists in clinical knowledge and skills at undergraduate,
preregistration and, predominantly, at postregistration levels.
As a result of the
change in role of hospital pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, supported by
additional post-basic qualification training and accreditation, took on wider
roles and more delegated authority.
Hospital pharmacy
services are still underpinned by the traditional spe-cialist roles such as
those in technical services, quality assurance and medi-cines information.
There is, however, an increasing emphasis on the development of clinical
specialities, a change driven by a variety of profes-sional pharmacy
organisations, such as UK Clinical Pharmacy Association and the College of
Mental Health Pharmacy, as well as by the inclusion of advanced and specialist
practice by the Department of Health in the frame-work for consultant
pharmacists.3
Alongside these
significant developments in practice there have been a number of changes in
teaching, learning and assessment. The Competency Development and Evaluation
Group describes a set of competency frame-works, based on qualitative and
quantitative research findings that can be applied to both general and advanced
practice. It has provided a tool to define and measure performance
standards of practice.
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