Courses  >  Hospital Vocational

The vocational training (VT) programme for junior hospital pharmacists is designed to help learners acquire the practical knowledge and skills necessary for them to develop as a hospital pharmacist.

The VT programme focuses on experiential learning in the workplace and will take a minimum of 20 months to complete. During the programme VT pharmacists will undertake workplace rotations in:

1. Dispensary
2. Technical services
3. Clinical/medicines management
4. Clinical effectiveness

Each rotation has its own set of competencies and practice activities and it is recommended that VT pharmacists spend between 3 and 6 months in each rotation. During in-practice training, VT pharmacists will be supervised and supported by a workplace mentor, who will be assisted by workplace trainers with specialist knowledge of each rotational area.

In order to successfully complete the programme VT pharmacists must submit their portfolio of competences and practice activities, undertaken during workplace rotations, to NICPLD for verification. VT pharmacists are then invited to attend a final assessment. On successful completion of both parts, VT pharmacists will be issued with a Certificate of Completion.