CPPE launches training for pharmacy staff to support patients with long COVID

The Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) has launched an e-learning programme for pharmacy staff to support patients with managing symptoms of long COVID.

In a statement published on 3 October 2025, CPPE said the programme had been designed “to help community pharmacy teams build their skills, knowledge and confidence to support people managing the long-term effects of COVID-19”.

“This new programme offers video and audio resources, practical consultation examples and strategies for supporting individuals through lifestyle advice, person-centred care and access to wider services,” it added.

The training programme was developed in collaboration with university researchers from the National Institute for Health and Care Research-funded PHARM-LC study, through which researchers examined the experience of patients with long COVID, as well as the views of community pharmacy teams on what learning they need to better support people living with long COVID.

Long COVID, also known as post-COVID syndrome, occurs when symptoms of COVID-19 last longer than 12 weeks. The most common symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, joint paint and aching muscles, and memory and concentration problems.

The Office for National Statistics has reported that an estimated 2 million people in England and Scotland have the condition.

Rachel Murray, senior learning development pharmacist at CPPE, said the programme had been “shaped by research and, most importantly, people with lived experience”.

“Community pharmacy teams were pivotal during the pandemic. This new e-learning will help [them] to build on that incredible work and make a real difference in [their] local community,” she added.

Carolyn Chew-Graham, professor of general practice research at Keele University, who was involved in developing the programme, said: “Two million people in the UK are living with long COVID, a condition people are still developing, which may not be readily recognised because routine testing for acute infection has largely stopped.

“For many, the pharmacy is the first place they seek advice about persisting symptoms following viral infection. The pharmacy team, therefore, has the potential to play a really important role in supporting people with long COVID. This learning programme provides evidence-based information to develop the confidence of pharmacy staff in talking to people with long COVID.”

Ian Maidment, professor in clinical pharmacy at Aston University, who was also involved in developing the programme, said: “As an ex-community pharmacist, community pharmacy can have a key role in helping people living with long COVID. The approach is in line with the NHS ten-year health plan, which aims to develop the role of community pharmacy in supporting people with long-term conditions.”

The programme is available on the CPPE website and requires no prior knowledge of long COVID.