Foundation Programme: Community pharmacists

The Community Foundation Programme (CFP) is designed to help all pharmacists working in a patient-facing role in Northern Ireland within the community sector to acquire the practical knowledge and skills necessary for them to deliver safe and effective pharmaceutical care to individual patients.

The CFP focuses on experiential learning in the workplace and will normally take approximately 18-20 months to complete. During the programme CFP pharmacists have the opportunity to gain knowledge, skills and experience in four practice areas:

• Dispensary services
• Medicines optimisation
• Evidence based practice
• Public health

Each practice area has a specified set of competencies and practice activities which are used to plan, conduct and evaluate the pharmacist’s in-practice training. During their in-practice training, CFP pharmacists will be supported by an Educational Supervisor (ES). The ES provides workplace support and acts as a role model to the early-career pharmacists undertaking the programme.

In order to successfully complete the Foundation Programme, pharmacists must submit their CFP portfolio of evidence, developed during their in-practice training, to NICPLD for verification. CFP pharmacists must also undertake a final interview assessment. Details of the CFP assessment process can be found in the CFP handbook. On successful completion of both parts of the assessment process (portfolio and interview), CFP pharmacists will be issued with a Certificate of Completion.