Training & development

CPPEs purpose is to help you fulfil your potential and they offer a range of creative learning opportunities to do just that. Training opportunities include training for services provision, which may be linked in with other information about service delivery such as health checks or sexual health services or NHS priorities.

CPPE offer a number of training types for more information visit their website here.

More information

• • Contact us at lpc@communitypharmacyss.co.uk

NHS Workforce, Training and Education (NHS WT&E) exists for one reason only: to support the delivery of excellent healthcare and health improvement to the patients and public of England.

Working across the south east, they ensure that the workforce of today and tomorrow has the right numbers, skills, values and behaviours, at the right time and in the right place. Read more.

For the national training offer for pharmacy professionals, please click here.

More information

• Contact us at lpc@communitypharmacyss.co.uk

Watch-on-demand.

Asthma updated guidance webinar available on demand – 10th June 2025

The Asthma updated guidance webinar focused on key formulary changes and supporting community pharmacy teams to learn about AIR and MART and the new changes in asthma care.

This webinar was led by our guest speaker, Helen Marlow, Lead Respiratory Specialist Pharmacist and NICE Medicines and Prescribing Associate at Surrey Heartlands ICB.

The webinar covered:

• What is the new approach to asthma management in the NICE/BTS/SIGN guidelines
• Preventer and reliever therapy – AIR and MART and the benefits for patients
• What the Surrey Heartlands asthma guidelines say about inhaler choices in primary care
• Tips for supporting asthma patients with their inhalers.

This was a fantastic informative session supporting the new medicines service and continued professional development and we would encourage all pharmacy professional to watch this on demand here.

Please find the slides from the webinar here.

Smoking Cessation Service launch webinar – 14th February 2024

CPSS along with the NHS SCS Implementation Team MLCSU, University Hospital Sussex and Sussex ICB colleagues hosted a launch webinar for the advance NHS Smoking Cessation Service. In preparation of the hospitals going live, we hosted a webinar as a launch event to support the hospitals in referring patients and the community pharmacy teams in undertaking the service once a referral has been made and sent to the pharmacy.  

Discharge Medicine Service Sussex – 8th March 2022

CPSS along with University Hospital Sussex hosted a webinar for the essential DMS service to support hospitals with making appropriate referrals and community pharmacies with actioning and claiming these referrals.

Discharge Medicine Service Surrey – 7th December 2022

CPSS along with Surrey Heartlands ICB hosted a webinar for the essential DMS service to support hospitals with making appropriate referrals and community pharmacies with actioning and claiming these referrals.

Discharge Medicine Service refresher video – 6th March 2024

This refresher video on the DMS service was made in collaboration with the Ashford and St Peters Hospital and Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust teams at the relaunch of the service in these hospitals. The aim of the video is to provide staff at the hospitals with support in referring patients into the DMS service and to remind community pharmacy teams of the actions that must be taken once a referral is received.

Pharmacy First GP Training Video – 15th May 2024

CPSS produced this training video to introduce the Pharmacy First service to General Practice staff and to support staff with making referrals into community pharmacy. If surgeries wish for this training to be delivered by the CPSS team, please contact us on LPC@communitypharmacyss.co.uk.

Pharmacy First Training Video for Hospital Staff – 5th June 2024

CPSS produced this training video on Pharmacy First for hospital staff. The aim of the video is to provide staff working in hospitals with an overview of the service and training on who can be appropriately referred into a community pharmacy under Pharmacy First.

Improving physical health in people with SMI in Sussex – 19th March 2024

Dr. Lindsay Hadley FRCGP, NHS Sussex lead for physical health checks for people with severe mental illness, designed this session to support pharmacy teams to understand and raise awareness of Severe Mental Illness Healthchecks.

Understanding inflammatory bowel disease & autoimmune hepatitis webinar – 14th November 2024

This webinar designed by IBD consultant pharmacist, Fiona Rees, from University Hospitals Sussex to provide training to support understanding and confidence in Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH).

Hypertension webinar – 13th November 2024

Guest Speakers Alison Warren (Consultant Pharmacist Cardiology FRPharmS, FFRPS, BPharm, DipClinPharm, MSc, PharmIP. University Hospitals Sussex (Brighton) and Sussex Integrated Care Board)and Mike Okorie (Consultant Physician and Associate Medical Director for Medicines Safety & Prescribing; Professor of Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics and Head, Department of Medical Education, BSMS; RCP Regional Specialty Adviser for Clinical Pharmacology in Kent, Surrey & Sussex) designed this training webinar to support colleagues to fully embed the hypertensive case finding service and explore opportunities to increase service delivery.

East Surrey County Council Swap to Stop Intro – 27th August 2025

An informative session tailored for pharmacy staff, exploring the new Swap to Stop scheme pilot. This initiative empowers community pharmacies to support smokers in switching to vaping as a harm reduction strategy. Learn how the pilot works, what support is available, and how your pharmacy can play a key role in improving public health outcomes. Let’s work together to help more people make the switch and stop smoking for good!

Slides can be found here.

More information

• • Contact us at lpc@communitypharmacyss.co.uk

All pharmacy staff involved in the provision of the service should receive appropriate training relevant to the role they will undertake and pharmacy owners are required to demonstrate that all staff providing the service in their pharmacy have the skills needed to do so.

The content of vaccination training

The National Minimum Standards and Core Curriculum for Immunisation Training for Registered Healthcare Practitioners sets the standards and lists the essential topics which should be incorporated into immunisation training for registered healthcare practitioners. Pharmacists and other vaccinators who will administer flu vaccines must have completed practical training in vaccination that meets these requirements.

Further information on the training requirements and a list of training providers are available on the CPE website here.

For more information 

• • • CPE advice and FAQs on all aspects of providing this service, from training to getting paid and ordering vaccines to promoting your service.
    • For more information visit our “Advanced services” page here.
    • Contact us at lpc@communitypharmacyss.co.uk.

Please find the link here to CPE briefing on training requirements.

Please see here for more information on PQS from CPSS

The public health prevention agenda is embedded in pharmacy, with services such as stop smoking support and contraception services.  CPSS supports the local Public Health Teams to run workshops on the locally commissioned services which can be found advertised in our Events section. Pharmacy team members can access a wide range of resources to assure and maintain competence in Public Health commissioned services via CPPE, which are underpinned by the Declaration of Competence system.

• • CPPE training website
  • Review you Local Essential Guide here for information on training requirements for specific locally commissioned services.

CPPE support for registered professionals is available on the links below:

Developing your career | Providing pharmacy services | Enhancing your skills | Clinical pharmacy and therapeutics | Supporting educators and trainers| Supporting you

Sussex PharmED Programme

Every Wednesday 8:30-9:30am

The Sussex PharmED is a weekly 1 hour online program which aims to fill the educational gap for advanced practitioners, builds on the HEE Newly Qualified Pharmacist Pathway and is based on the five pillars of RPS Core Advance Pharmacist Curriculum and the Pharmacy Technician Workforce Development Programme. These are highlighted at each session to increase awareness and uptake of credentialing but also address the needs of all pharmacy staff, Pharmacy Technician and Pharmacist alike.

Sessions give opportunities to collaborate with academic colleagues on applied research, increase managerial skills through ‘in conversations’ with senior managers, give access to professional role models creating aspiration and act as a platform for delivering training and education. 

This pharmacy education program is built to serve as hub of learning for the pharmacy workforce in Sussex. The program is aligned to local educational needs, provides opportunities to network and form valuable professional relationships, act as a discussion forum to develop new ideas and projects for pharmacist in all sectors to work collaboratively and improve seamless patients care. It is partnered with local pharmacy academia to aid with the research component and develop clinical academics, to initiate and develop new research projects across boundaries. 

If you would like to attend the weekly sessions please contact simranjohal@communitypharmacyss.co.uk.

Pharmacy technicians are GPhC registered key members of the pharmacy and multidisciplinary teams who play an integral role in helping patients to get the most out of their medicines. Pharmacy technicians can develop a rewarding and skilled career throughout a variety of different avenues and platforms.

To find out more click here.

Association of Pharmacy Technicians United Kingdom (APTUK) is the national professional leadership body for pharmacy technicians working in all pharmacy sectors across all countries in the UK: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales more info can be found here.

Pharmacy South East Pharmacy Technician Network Hub

 NHS England  would like to widen their engagement with pharmacy technicians in different sectors.

The Pharmacy South East Pharmacy Technician Hub provides a space for employers of PTPTs and pharmacy technicians from various backgrounds to have an opportunity to collaborate and discuss topics with their peers, as well as share resources

Pharmacy Technicians in community pharmacy are encouraged to join this network hub. Please complete this short survey if you would like to join the workspace.

A number of training opportunities are available for Pharmacy Technicians, please see below and follow the links:

Pharmacy Technician development programme: preparing for the future

CPPE Pharmacy Technicians Enhancing your Professional Practice

CPPE Pharmacy technicians: using patient group directions in practice

CPPE Patient group directions (elearning for healthcare)

CPPE Pharmacy Technician Impact Groups

CPPE Urgent care: the role of community pharmacy and the NHS Pharmacy First service

CPPE Consultation skills for pharmacy practice

CPPE Professionalism and Professional Judgement for Pharmacy Technicians

CPPE Dispensary-based calculations for pharmacy technicians

Independent Prescribing courses 2026-27 – NHS England funded training

Applications for NHS England funded independent prescribing courses are open.

Pharmacists from all sectors, including community pharmacy and locums, are invited to take advantage of this opportunity.

Courses are available up to March 2027, with several universities offering multiple dates for cohort intakes. Start dates will depend on the university provider.

Pharmacists who meet the eligibility criteria will be able to apply for independent prescribing courses at a variety of universities across England:

1. Community pharmacists (including locum pharmacists); Pharmacists employed in General Practice (who are not eligible for, or enrolled on, the CPPE Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway) and those who are working to provide primary care services (e.g. working in primary care) who are not employed in ARRS roles); and Health and Justice pharmacists
2. Pharmacists enrolled on CPPE’s Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway (PCPEP) and who meet the PCPEP criteria to enrol on an independent prescribing course
3. Pharmacists working in an NHS Hospital Trust or Mental Health Trust (NHS managed sector); pharmacists working in an integrated care board (ICB), previously CCG pharmacists.

Eligible pharmacists may apply only to those universities as listed on the NHS England website. They will need to demonstrate (as a minimum):

• The support of an identified designated prescribing practitioner (DPP).
• An appropriate practice-based learning environment in a prescribing setting that can offer appropriate clinical support.
• Evidence that you meet the course provider eligibility criteria (applicants will be subject to their chosen university’s enrolment processes).
• Commitment to use the skill within your area of competence and expertise, for the delivery of NHS clinical services as they emerge.

Universities are listed on the NHS England website by sector. Please note: the available universities differ depending on the sector you work in.

Course length and the number of face-to-face days required vary between universities. Please check the individual university webpages for further information on course format.

Funding

Independent Prescribing training is available to pharmacists who meet the eligibility criteria. Tuition fees are fully funded by NHS England. Pharmacists that are successful in applying to one of the approved universities will be allocated a fully funded place directly by the university. They do not need to apply to NHS England for funding separately.

For any further enquiries, please contact england.pharmacyteam@nhs.net

In addition to the offer mentioned above, University of Brighton and University of Winchester are also providing IP funded course provision. For further details and information on how to apply, please visit their respective webpages.