On 3 September RPS hosted the Advanced Credentialing Summit, which brought together pharmacists, education bodies and system leaders from across the UK to discuss advanced practice for pharmacists.

Attendees included representatives of the four national Chief Pharmaceutical Officers and devolved health education bodies, as well as assessors, regulators, and the RPS team that has led on developing the Core Advanced curriculum. The programme also included insights from three credentialed advanced practice pharmacists, who shared their experiences of the credentialing process.

Reflecting on the event, Joseph Oakley, Associate Director of Assessment and Credentialing at RPS, articulated why advanced practice is so important:

“Standardising and assuring advancing levels of post-registration pharmacy practice across the UK has never been more important for the profession, as pharmacists’ role and scope in delivering more complex clinical services to patients rapidly develops. This is especially true for those in the profession working in advanced roles, whose scope extends far beyond that assured at registration. This will only become more significant with the introduction of prescribing at point of registration from 2026.”

There was broad consensus among those present about the value of a standardised system of advanced practice credentialing, and the pressing need for it to assure quality in the system as the scope of pharmacists’ practice expands.

However, there were marked differences in the extent to which pharmacists are supported to undertake credentialing in different parts of the UK, and across different settings. The stories from pharmacists who had recently attained advanced pharmacy credentials illustrated some of the challenges involved in preparing for the assessment. Candidates compile an e-portfolio documenting experiences and feedback. Often this requires developing new skills and an important part of the process is to find supervisors, mentors and coaches who can support the credentialing journey. Employers have a big part to play in enabling pharmacists to have the flexibility and time to undertake this work.

However, the benefits clearly outweighed the costs as the credentialed pharmacists explained the big impact the process had on them. In each case it improved the quality of care they provide, whilst increasing confidence, developing new skills and opening opportunities for career progression.

The RPS event provided a valuable opportunity for people from around the UK and different practice settings to come together and hear each other’s perspectives and experiences.

Find out more about the RPS Core Advanced Pharmacist Curriculum.

For more information on RPS Assessment and Credentialing.

Read more RPS news stories.