To develop a competency based continuous professional development (CPD) support package based on a workbook of competencies for community pharmacists working with patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 in primary care. To monitor the competencies attempted and evaluate by means of a pre and post measurement of views and attitudes to CPD. Subjects and settings: (a) 19 health care team members in the model of care design, (b) 18 community pharmacists in consensus building, (c) 60 pharmacists in a controlled study to monitor and evaluate the package. Main outcome measures: (a) Model of Care, (b) Measured consensus on pharmacist activities, (c) Uptake of elements of the Support Model; changes in pharmacist views and attitudes to CPD; investigation of pharmacists' CPD priorities. Results: Findings established an agreed model of care and a set of activities (behavioural statements). These statements linked to nationally agreed multiprofessional competencies producing a CPD diabetes workbook.

For healthcare professionals, the capacity to improve therapeutic outcomes, patients' quality of life, scientific advancement and public health imperatives is dependent on a foundation of competence. Likewise, a competent practitioner workforce is an essential pre-requisite for all healthcare professions and pharmacy is no exception. Despite this shared understanding, the very definition and domains of competence in pharmacy practice, across countries and cultures, has never been investigated. The aims of this project were to explore the feasibility of developing a global pharmacy competency framework and, if feasible, to create and validate this framework. The hypothesis for the research is that there is a common, shared platform for competency development in pharmacy that has global relevance and resonance. A multi-method analysis was used in all phases of the research project. To research the feasibility of the development of a Global Competency Framework (GbCF), an international workshop was conducted to explore cultural influences on competence. Following this, two global cross-sectional surveys were conducted to understand the prevalence of national competency frameworks for pharmaceutical services and the pharmacy student's learning experience in developing generic and independent learning skills related to professional competence. This research comprised a literature review and a content analysis in the development of a draft version of the GbCF following standard methodologies. The draft GbCF contains a core set of behavioural competencies synthesised from documents and deemed to be generally applicable for the pharmacy workforce worldwide. Subsequently, validation panels were used to review and assess the validity of the developed GbCF via consensus developmental panel, content validation panel, respondent validation and a further global cross-sectional survey assessed the relevance of the derived competencies and behaviours. This research provides evidence that a global competency framework can be developed that describes relevant and valid transnational competencies for pharmacy practice.

It has been predicted that there will be a full time pharmacist workforce shortage of over 15,000 by 2013. It is therefore necessary to recruit more students of a suitable calibre to undergraduate pharmacy degree courses. This study was designed to investigate the motivations of pre-university and MPharm students for studying pharmacy. A series of focus groups was conducted with Year 12 students and a national survey of Year 13, 1st year MPharm and 4th year MPharm students was undertaken. The study found that amongst Year 12 students, pharmacy is perceived as a background profession and was also perceived as being of a lower status than medicine and dentistry. It was concluded that there was a need for greater promotion of pharmacy as a career amongst pre-university students, including the provision of structured work experience placements. Analysis of UCAS applicant data for pharmacy shows that the applicant pool is buoyant and that the majority of applicants are female. Female respondents to the surveys were significantly more likely than males to wish to work part time if they had a family. This could lead to further shortages in the full time workforce. The largest ethnic group of applicants to pharmacy degree courses were Asian. Business ownership and self-employment were motivations for entering the procession of pharmacy and career aims for significantly more Asian than White respondents. Ownership of independent pharmacies is declining and this could be a barrier to future recruitment to pharmacy degree courses. A high degree of interest in locum working may present a problem for continuity in commissioned services within community pharmacy practice. Further work is needed to examine the motivations for working as a locum pharmacist.