Our aim is to develop students to become independent Pharmacy Practitioners who will have the experience, knowledge and the ability to apply these in practise.
To achieve this aim, as a Pre-registration Pharmacist you will gain experience in the following:
| Stores and Procurement | 2 weeks |
| Psychiatric Pharmacy | 3 weeks |
| Community Services | 4 weeks |
| Quality Assurance | 2 weeks |
| Aseptic Services | 4 weeks |
| Medicines Information/Formulary, incl. one week at Trent Regional Centre | 6-7 weeks |
| Patient Services (dispensary/clinical) | 20 weeks |
The experience given allows plenty of opportunity to collect evidence to support the performance standards in the full range of Professional, Sectoral and Practical Units described in the Society’s Training Scheme. You will be trained by a number of experienced Pharmacists and Technicians throughout the year. All are experienced in this sort of training. Some of our Technicians are qualified NVQ Assessors. Each department has developed their training to meet the requirements of the performance standards and you will be appraised by each supervisor.
You will be given the opportunity to spend a short time in a Community Pharmacy. However, to help with the ‘community’ aspects of the Pre-registration exam, you will be provided with the Distance Learning material on the ‘Drug Tariff’ and ‘Responding to Symptoms’.
Courses
Study Days and Residential Courses are arranged on a ‘Regional’ basis, which gives you the opportunity to meet with your peers in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire (until 2005). After this time, the format will change to incorporate Northamptonshire, Rutland and Leicestershire
Project/Exam
Pre-registration Trainees undertake a project, usually taken from the suggested audit programme. The results of the project are presented at the Clinical Pharmacist meeting and at an audience of their peers and Pre-registration Tutors. Prizes are awarded to the top three Pre-registration Trainees giving the best presentation. In 2003, both Pre-registration trainees at Northampton General Hospital received prizes.
Our pre-registration examination success rate is 100% at the first attempt. However, the examination is not the ‘be all and end all’ of training, and as hopefully explained, we offer a very comprehensive training opportunity.
Personal Development
All of our students have enjoyed their time here. Some have remained with us as Pharmacists and have undertaken Diploma’s etc. Others have stayed with the Hospital Service in another region, and some have returned to academia.
Past Student Comments
"…one of the best pre-re training years there is."
"…in retrospect, I think the best thing that the pre-reg at Northampton gave me is that it did prepare me for actual working as a Pharmacist."
"…it helped a lot knowing that I had been trained to check and validate properly. The vast amount of clinical teaching that you did at Northampton was also invaluable when I started on wards on my own."
We look forward to receiving your application for Pre-registration training, and good luck with your degree!!
If you would like any further information contact Gill Williams, Principal Clinical Services Pharmacist on 01604 545693 or e-mail: Gillian.Williams@ngh.nhs.uk
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