Career support
for you

Below you’ll find information on organisations and resources that can assist you in your pharmacy career in Northern Ireland.

The Northern Ireland Centre for Pharmacy Learning and Development (NICPLD) is one of four UK Postgraduate Pharmacy Centres. While some of NICPLD’s programmes are mandatory training for career development and specific pharmacy services, many pharmacists and pharmacy technicians use NICPLD’s broad portfolio of workshops and elearning as part of their CPD commitment.

Almost all of the mandatory postgraduate training for pharmacists, pre-registration trainees and pharmacy technicians is provided by NICPLD. For example, the foundation, prescribing and advanced practice programmes and now established career pathways for all hospital and general practice pharmacists. Additionally, accredited post-qualification training programmes (e.g. ACT, MMAP and PiP) are available to all pharmacy technicians. A bursary scheme exists to support pharmacists who wish to engage in training/CPD that is not available within Northern Ireland.

NICPLD has been recognised for its training effectiveness, receiving three National Training Awards, a JISC Award for eLearning innovation and most recently the RPS Award for Educational Excellence. NICPLD is also a Foundation School of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Full details on NICPLD programmes can be found at www.nicpld.org

Pharmacy Forum NI

Pharmacy Forum NI is the professional leadership body for all pharmacists registered to practise in Northern Ireland.

Our members play a vital role in delivering safe, high quality and sustainable health and social care services. Our team is committed to leading, promoting and supporting the pharmacy profession to deliver improved outcomes for patients.

We are focused on ensuring a strong, local leadership presence, with a collaborative, outward facing approach. This means working with our colleagues and key stakeholders, to ensure that our agenda is informed by developments in the profession both in Northern Ireland and further afield. Our purpose, to effect positive change and to support the delivery of high-quality patient-centred, pharmacy care.

You can find out more about the work of the Forum at their website https://www.pfni.org.uk/

The requirement to engage in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) ensures that pharmacists in Northern Ireland maintain and enhance their knowledge and skills base and keep pace with current standards and best practice to ensure the very highest standards of professionalism and patient care.

At the time of registration renewal each year, the pharmacist must complete a statutory declaration confirming their compliance with the legislative provisions and statutory requirements of the CPD Framework.

Registrants must adhere to the CPD Standards and the requirements articulated in the CPD Framework when planning and recording their CPD learning activity throughout the CPD year and making a CPD submission by 31 May each year.

All registrants must undertake CPD activities relevant to the safe and effective practice of pharmacy, and to their scope of practice.

Find out more about the CPD process in Northern Ireland on the Pharmaceutical Society NI.

Pharmacy Forum NI provides advice and support on the CPD process. Their website offers details of the range of support available and how to access it.

The Pharmacist Advice and Support Service (PASS) helps pharmacists, ex-pharmacists, their dependants and pre-registration trainees in times of need.

PASS is committed to providing access to high quality support services for:

Pharmacists in Northern Ireland
Former pharmacists
Pre-registration trainees
Widows & widowers of pharmacists
Dependants of a pharmacist

Once you are registered to practise in Northern Ireland, you have lifetime access to the full range of services offered by PASS. These services are free, impartial and confidential. They include: