About the Centre

The Northern Ireland Centre for Pharmacy Learning and Development provides over 1,000 hours of learning opportunity each year to pharmacists, pre-registration trainees and pharmacy technicians.

While the live and distance learning programmes remain the cornerstone of the Centre's activities, NICPLD encourages pharmacists to engage in other learning opportunities. For example, we will contribute up to 50 per cent of the fees for pharmacists participating in other learning events, such as conferences, short courses or postgraduate degrees. In addition, NICPLD provides bursaries to hospital pharmacists to cover 50 per cent of the fees to study for a postgraduate qualification in clinical pharmacy at the School of Pharmacy in Belfast.

Accredited and vocational training is provided by NICPLD. The postgraduate certificate in pharmacy prescribing (6 months) has been running since 2003, while the vocational programme (2 years) for junior hospital pharmacists started in 2008. Accredited courses for pharmacy technicians who wish to train as ACTs and PODs technicians are also provided.

NICPLD delivers the mandatory courses that pre-registration trainees are required to complete.