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A survey to gain a better understanding of staff numbers and skill mix within community pharmacy in Scotland is to be carried out in February 2018.
NHS Education Scotland Pharmacy and Community Pharmacy Scotland (CPS) will conduct the national community pharmacy workforce survey. The information obtained will be analysed with the aim of helping to inform pharmacy workforce strategy planning and development.
The data for independent community pharmacies will be gathered locally within each board area by community pharmacy champions or health board staff. The Company Chemists’ Association (CCA) has agreed to provide data centrally for its Scottish community pharmacy members.
The survey — which was also carried out in 2016 and 2017 — has been designed to give a snapshot of the community pharmacy workforce including pre-registration trainee pharmacists, pharmacy technicians including trainees, and pharmacy support staff.
Matt Barclay, director of operations for CPS, said the new pharmacy strategy for Scotland would: “Hopefully inform where community pharmacy is, to respond to challenges with achieving excellence in pharmaceutical care.”
