The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) is delighted to launch consultations on two new pioneer curricula defining advanced pharmacist practice in critical care and mental health, developed collaboratively with the UK Clinical Pharmacy Association (UKCPA) and College of Mental Health Pharmacy (CMHP) respectively. Both consultations open on Wednesday 14 February until Tuesday 12 March and are open to members and non-members of RPS, UKCPA and CMHP.
These pioneer joint curricula, and supporting credentials, were identified through an open expression of interest process, and prioritised on their clear patient and service needs supported by policy. Both curricula build on and are supplementary to, the RPS core advanced curriculum and define the clinical capabilities expected of entry-level advanced pharmacists practising specifically in critical care and mental health.
The RPS and UKCPA advanced pharmacist critical care curriculum, developed with support from the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine (FICM), defines the advanced knowledge, skills and capabilities for advanced pharmacists to support critical care teams to effectively use medicines to resuscitate, stabilise and optimise the patient during their illness and through discharge and rehabilitation where appropriate and to manage medicines for pre-existing conditions throughout their critical illness.
The RPS and CMHP advanced pharmacist mental health curriculum defines the advanced knowledge, skills and capabilities for advanced pharmacists to support the highly complex patients, populations and health and social care systems, improving the provision of mental health (including substance use) treatment, the management of co-morbidities, the availability, reach and quality of harm reduction activities and address some of the structural barriers faced by this population.
Both curricula will be assured through the collaborative assessment of additional specialist clinical outcomes via an add-on module to the RPS core advanced e-portfolio. Successful demonstration of these outcomes, in addition to the outcomes in the RPS core advanced curriculum, will result in the awarding of both the RPS core advanced credential and an additional specialist credential. These e-portfolio modules will be launched by September 2024.
The RPS is currently developing a framework to articulate our future approach to the collaborative development of future advanced specialist curricula and/or credentials, building on valuable learning gained from working with UKCPA and CMHP on these pioneer joint curricula.
The development of additional curricula defining advanced practice in specific areas of patient-focused pharmacist practice will always be driven and prioritised by patient and service needs. We will be sharing more about our future approach in the coming months and will be holding an engagement event for specialist groups to discuss this in July 2024.
Find out more and submit your consultation for RPS and UKCPA advanced pharmacist critical care curriculum.
Find out more and submit your consultation for RPS and CMHP advanced pharmacist mental health curriculum.
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