CPWS: News archive

HSRPP 2012: Optimisation of Pharmacotherapy – From Pharmacovigilance to Improved Communication

The Health Services Research and Pharmacy Practice Conference (HSRPP) will be held at the University College Cork, Ireland from the 23 - 24 April 2012.

The conference is organised on a non-profit basis with a particular emphasis on disseminating the work of early career pharmacy practice researchers. It’s two major aims are:

• To identify and disseminate submitted research papers to inform policy and practice development.
• To provide an environment to encourage pharmacy practice researchers to share ideas about their research with their peers.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Professor Mike Wolf, Associate Professor, Medicine and Learning Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago USA
• Professor Steve Field, Chair, NHS Future Forum
• Professor Tony Avery, Professor of Primary Healthcare, University of Nottingham
• Further keynote speakers will be confirmed shortly

The conference also features 70 oral and posters presentations, workshops and a PhD forum. PhD students wishing to take part in the forum should contact Dr Stephen Byrne stephen.byrne@ucc.ie.

National Clinical Assessment Service publishes CPWS work on management of performance concerns

June 2010

In 2009, the National Clinical Assessment Service (NCAS) commissioned CPWS to undertake work to explore the management of performance concerns in the pharmacy profession. As part of this work, CPWS conducted interviews with key stakeholders from regulators, professional organisations and employers. Two surveys of primary care organisations and NHS trusts were also conducted. A PDF of the report can downloaded from the reports section our publications page. The results of this research can be found on the reports section of our publication page.

Forthcoming HSRN health care workforce seminar - 9 December 2009

November 2009

Immigration patterns in the health care workforce: Interdisciplinary Perspectives. 9 December, 14:00 to 17:00, University of Liverpool.

This free seminar is organised by the Health Services Research Network special interest group on strategic workforce planning and research, exploring issues around global immigration patterns for medics, nurses and allied health professionals (AHPs).

NHS staffing news - National NHS Pharmacy Staffing Establishment and Vacancy Survey 2009 published

October 2009

The final report of the National NHS Pharmacy Staffing Establishment and Vacancy Survey 2009 was published and forwarded to the Office of Manpower Economics on 31 October 2009. The report provides headline data for the NHS pharmacy workforce in NHS trusts and PCTs, LHBs and nd Health and Social Services Boards across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This report and those for previous years can be found on the NHS Pharmacy Education and Development Committee’s website.

2008 Pharmacy Workforce Census - main finding published

October 2009

A summary of the main findings from the 2008 pharmacy workforce census by Liz Seston and Karen Hassell has been published in The Pharmaceutical Journal. (An overview of the main findings from the 2008 pharmacy workforce census. Elizabeth Seston, Karen Hassell. The Pharmaceutical Journal; 17 October 2009, Vol 283). n.b.

CPWS at the 2009 British Pharmeutical Conference

September 2009

• CPWS researchers presented a range of pharmacy workforce and education findings at the 2009 BPC in Manchester between 6-7th September.
• CPWS PhD student Jane Ferguson presented 'Qualitative insights into aspects of job dissatisfaction with workload among community and hospital pharmacists'.
• Dr Liz Seston presented results on attitudes to work/life balance garnered from the recent Pharmcist census: 'Balancing home and work life: findings from the 2008 Pharmacy Workforce Census'.
• Sarah Willis provided the latest insights from the Longitudinal Cohort Study of Pharmacy Careers: Careerist of career drifter? Career commitment at the beginning of a pharmacy career.
• Dr Ellen Schahheutle presented work on the learning of registered pharmacy technicians, Registered pharmacy technicians’ learning of ‘influencing skills’ and impact on practice: analysis of open comments.
• Andrew Wagner presented a poster on geographical differences in pharmacist satisfaction: Is there geographical variation in levels of job satisfaction among hospital and community pharmacists in England?
• Professor Karen Hassell gave an invited presentation The changing landscape of the GB practising workforce in pharmacy in the 'Professional fitness to practice - essential to patient safety' themed session.

CPWS at Canadian Pharmacists Association’s 97th Annual National Conference, Halifax Nova Scotia

June 2009

Professor Karen Hassell presented Triangulating the Research Evidence on Workload and Workplace Pressures felt by GB based Pharmacists (PDF, 1.2MB) at the Canadian Pharmacists Association’s 97th Annual National Conference (30 May-2 June 2009). The presentation focused on increasing demands on pharmacists' time and workforce shortages. Workload and work intensification are implicated in literature looking at the causes of dispensing errors, and reasons for job dissatisfaction and stress. At the Centre of Pharmacy Workforce Studies in the UK, a number of studies demonstrate pharmacists in GB perceive their workload as problem. These studies are quantitative projects measuring perceptions of workload, and smaller scale qualitative studies with sub groups of pharmacists exploring specific aspects of their working lives.

Workplace Pressure and the Pharmacy Workforce: Supporting Professionals and Protecting the Public

May 2009

Professor Karen Hassell presented "Hard work never killed anyone" (PPT, 680k) at the Workplace Pressure symposium held in London on 28th and 29th April 2009. Professor Hassell discussed factors contributing to workplace pressure and effects on the workforce such as stress, dissatisfaction, anxiety and fatigue in a significant number in the profession.

Manchester to host 2010 Health Health Service Research and Pharmacy Practice Conference

April 2009

Professor Karen Hassell and Dr Mary Tully from the HSRPP Steering Group have announced that the 16th Health Service Research and Pharmacy Practice Conference will be hosted by the University of Manchester. The conference will take place between 12-13th April 2010 with the theme "Pharmacy Practice Research - Coming of age?". Further information on abstract submissions and registration will be available in the coming weeks from the conference website.

CPWS at 2009 Health Service Research and Pharmacy Practice Conference

April 2009

There was another strong CPWS presence at the 2009 Health Service Research and Pharmacy Practice Conference, held at the University of Brighton's Sallis Benney Theatre between 30-31st March.

CPWS PhD students updated the conference with presentations about their current research:

• Rashid A, Hassell K and Johnson S. Characterising and understanding career and job commitment in the pharmacy profession.
• Ziaei Z, Hassell, K and Schafheutle, E. Overseas qualified pharmacists: their contribution to, and experience of, working in Great Britain labour market.
• Elvey R. Professional identity, image and reputation in pharmacy.

Researchers Ellen Schafheutle and Sally Jacobs gave presentations about continuing professional practice and organizational culture respectively:

• Schafheutle EI, Higginson PJ,Cutts C. Pharmacy technicians’ uptake of CPD and impact of learning on working practice.
• Jacobs S, Ashcroft, DM and Hassell K. Organisational culture as a mediator of quality in community pharmacy practice – does it have a role?

Poster presentations were given by Liz Seston and Andrew Wagner about Learning at Lunch and community pharmacists’ commuting:

• Wagner AC, Hassell K. How far do community pharmacists travel to work? Preliminary results.
• Seston EM, Hassell K, Cutts C, Schafheutle EI . Learning at lunch with CPPE: comparing uptake by strategic health authority and hospital type.

Abstracts for the presentations can be found in the International Journal of Pharmacy Practice Volume 17: Supplement 1, 2009.

Fitness to Practise - commissioned research project

February 2009

In December 2008, Dr Ellen Schafheutle and colleagues* were commissioned by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) to undertake two literature reviews about (i) codes of conduct and (ii) fitness to practise procedures for undergraduate pharmacy students. This involved a review of:

• regulator guidance for other healthcare professional students
• what exists at UK schools of pharmacy
• the existence of such guidance in other English speaking countries with similar healthcare and pharmacy education systems, i.e. Ireland, Canada, the USA, Australia and New Zealand

Two reports were submitted to the RPSGB in January 2009, and two related abstracts will be presented at the Pharmacy Education Symposium in Prato, Italy, in July 2009.

(* Ellen’s co-authors were Ms Jennifer Silverthorne, Dr Jason Hall, Dr Mary Tully and Prof Peter Noyce – all at the Manchester School of Pharmacy – and Prof Tim David, chair of Manchester’s Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences Fitness to Practise committee.)

Sixth CPWS Bulletin published

December 2008

Our sixth bulletin is now available, profiling the programme of PhD studies currently taking place in CPWS.

This and previous bulletins can be downloaded from the bulletins page.

National NHS Pharmacy Staffing Establishment and Vacancy Survey 2008 published

October 2008

The final report of the National NHS Pharmacy Staffing Establishment and Vacancy Survey 2008 was published and forwarded to the Office of Manpower Economics on 31 October 2008. The report provides headline data for the NHS pharmacy workforce in NHS trusts and PCTs/LHBs across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It can be found on the NHS Pharmacy Education and Development Committee’s website.

CPWS at British Pharmaceutical Conference

September 2008

CPWS were well represented at this year's British Pharmaceutical Conference held at Manchester Central between 7-9 September 2008, disseminating research findings around pharmacist job satisfaction, pre-registration training, workforce equity, employment choices, fitness to practice and career pathways.

Andrew Wagner presented "Community pharmacist supply: is there variation between populations with different levels of health needs?", Sarah Willis presented her work about "Pre-registration trainees’ quality of working life". Liz Seston explored "How useful is learning@lunch? Evaluation of a new vocational learning format".

There were four practice research poster presentations: Jane Ferguson with "Job satisfaction of pharmacists: a critical appraisal of existing tools", Martin Eden with "New recruits to the profession want opportunities to provide new services and utilise their clinical skills", Helen Potter with "What do community pharmacists know about revalidation and how do they feel about it?" and Kelly Rowe with "The employment choices and work experiences of white and minority ethnic women pharmacists: preliminary findings from qualitative research".

Professor Karen Hassell also presented "Pharmacists: research on job satisfaction and work related stress" in the PDA session "Adding years to your life: recognising and dealing with occupational stress".

The abstracts from the BPC are available in the International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, Vol. 16, Supplement 3, 2008.

Karen Hassell presents at 68th FIP World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

September 2008

Professor Karen Hassell attended the 68th FIP World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Basel Convention Centre between 31 August - 4 September 2008, where she presented "The pharmacy workforce: Fitness to practise" in the session "Workforce, competence and education reform".

Fifth CPWS Bulletin published

July 2008

Our fifth bulletin is now available, giving an analysis of how community pharmacists are distributed between primary care organisations in England.

This and previous bulletins can be downloaded from the bulletins page.

Dr Sally Jacobs joins CPWS

July 2008

CPWS are pleased to welcome a new member of staff, Dr Sally Jacobs. Sally joins us from the University of Manchester's Personal Social Services Research Unit.

CPWS present work at the 2008 HSRN and NIHR SDO Programme joint annual conference

June 2008

Sarah Willis presented a poster at the joint National Institute for Health Research Service Delivery and Organisation Programme and Health Services Research Network conference in Manchester on the 4th and 5th June 2008.

• Pharmacist preregistration training and workforce retention. (Willis SC, Eden M, Hassell K)

Evaluation of the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education learning@lunch programme published

June 2008

CPWS was commissioned by the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) to evaluate the learning@lunch programme. Learning@lunch is a bespoke learning programme for hospital pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. It is designed for small groups of pharmacists and technicians to work together on a series of relevant clinical topics. The evaluation, which has been published this month, presents the views of more than 1500 pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who responded to the evaluation. More than half of those who took part had completed at least one learning@lunch session. The programme was well-received by participants and was found to be of value to clinical practice. For a copy of the report, visit the report section of our publications page. For further information on learning@lunch, please visit the CPPE website (external link).

CPWS at 2008 Health Services Research and Pharmacy Practice Conference

April 2008

CPWS were well represented at this year's Health Services Research and Pharmacy Practice Conference at Liverpool John Moores University. Professor Karen Hassell presented on "Inter-sector mobility in the United Kingdom pharmacy workforce between 2003 and 2005" while there were poster presentations by Sarah Willis with "Workforce migration: who moves for preregistration training and what kinds of places do they work in?"; Ellen Schafheutle with "What do we know about pharmacists who join the register from overseas?" and Martin Eden who spoke about "Why some pharmacists choose non-standard careers soon after qualifying?".

2007 Register of Pharmacists: Workforce update published

December 2007

The Pharmaceutical Journal recently published an article, "Worforce update - joiners, leavers, and practising and non-practising pharmacists on the 2007 Register" (The Pharmacuetical Journal, Vol 279 No 7482 p691-693) written by CPWS staff Liz Seston, Karen Hassell and Ellen Schafheutle. This article is the third exploring the annual state of the Register of Pharmacists and describes the composition of the Register as at August 2007, providing demographic data on members of both the practising and non-practising parts of the Register.The article also provides information and demographic data on exits and entrants from the Register during the previous 12 months.

Fourth CPWS Bulletin published

December 2007

Our fourth bulletin is now available, providing news and reports on the latest developments affecting the pharmacy workforce including updates on recent CPWS activities and profiles of our PhD students.

Report 6 - Pre-Registration Choices Questionnaire. Analysis of the Questionnaire

November 2007

CPWS are pleased to publish results from the second survey for A Longitudinal Cohort Study about Pharmacy Careers, undertaken in March 2006. The survey, the Pre-Registration Choices questionnaire, focused on respondents' pre-registration choices and sought to frame reasons for these choices. The report, prepared by Sarah Willis and Karen Hassell, includes data about:

• learning experiences and exposure to different aspects and sectors of pharmacy practice as an undergraduate
• early career intentions
• expected patterns of work
• intentions to take career breaks
• respondents' conceptualisation of a career in pharmacy
• respondents' beliefs about working as a pharmacist

National NHS Hospital Pharmacy Staffing Establishment and Vacancy Survey 2007

November 2007

You can view or download the National NHS Hospital Pharmacy Staffing Establishment and Vacancy Survey 2007 (Full Report PDF, 0.5MB), published by the NHS Pharmacy Education and Development Committee. The NHS Pharmacy Education and Development Committee undertook a survey of all NHS acute and mental health trusts in England and Wales, in response to demands from various sources for accurate data on the current state of recruitment and retention in NHS hospital pharmacy.

CPWS presentation on workforce and migration

October 2007

Professor Karen Hassell presented "Global Pharmacy workforce and migration – recipient perspective" (PPT, 1.1MB), around the theme of the Impact of Workforce Shortages and Imbalances on the Provision of Pharmacy Care Services on the 13th October, 2007 at the 16th annual meeting of the EuroPharm Forum at the Hotel Devin Congress Centre, Bratislava, Slovakia.

CPWS Director makes keynote speech at international health worker migration conference

September 2007

Professor Karen Hassell gave the keynote speech "International health worker migration: GB-registered pharmacists" (PPT, 685MB) at the multidisciplinary conference, Global Health, Justice and the ‘Brain Drain’ at Keele University on 17th September 2007.

Third CPWS Bulletin published

June 2007

The third CPWS Bulletin entitled "Images of pharmacy and occupational identity" has been published. The bulletin explores how pharmacy students' images of pharmacy are formed and shaped. If you would like a hard copy of the bulletin or would like to join our mailing list please contact us.

CPWS appoints Information Manager

March 2007

CPWS has recently appointed Andrew Wagner to the post of Information Manager. Andrew, who started in March 2007, will be developing the centre's information resources. Andrew joins CPWS from the National Primary Care Research and Development Centre, where he developed and managed the National Primary Care Database. With a backround in NHS and Social Services information management, Andrew was involved in the development of information systems and service measures.

CWPS Director awarded Chair in Social Pharmacy

November 2006

Dr Karen Hassell, Director of CPWS, was awarded a Chair in Social Pharmacy on 11 November 2006 by the School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Manchester.

Workforce Update published in the Pharmceutical Journal

November 2006

An article entitled 'Workforce update - joiners, leavers and practising and non-practising pharmacists on the 2006 Register' has been published in the Pharmaceutical Journal. This article presents demographic data extracted from the 2006 Register of Pharmaceutical Chemists, focusing on those who have joined and left the Register in the previous 12 months.

Second CPWS bulletin now available

October 2006

The second CPWS bulletin entitled 'The future pharmacy workforce: Do pharmacy students want to be entrepreneurs?' has been published. The bulletin reports findings from the Cohort study of pharmacy undergraduates, exploring entrepreneurial intentions.

Third pharmacy workforce census report published

RPSGB launched the third workforce census report at the British Pharmaceutical Conference in September. The work was carried out by CWPS in conjunction with RPSGB. Census forms were sent out in August 2005 to all pharmacists with a registered address, with the results set to inform future workforce planning and policy development in the pharmacy profession. The survey achieved an excellent response rate of 76.6%.

CPWS Director appointed first British Pharmaceutical Conference Practice Chair

CPWS Director Dr Karen Hassell has been appointed the first Practice Chair of the British Pharmaceutical Conference (BPC). In her role as Practice Chair, Dr Hassell made a keynote speech at the conference on Tuesday 5th September.

Series of cohort study articles published in the Pharmaceutical Journal

The Pharmaceutical Journal has published a series of three articles based on the findings of the longitudinal study of the careers of the 2004 pharmacy graduate cohort.  The articles explore different aspects of the Cohort study including the demographics of the cohort, motivations for studying pharmacy, expected career choices and patterns of work and graduate destinations.

New CPWS publications in press

CPWS staff have had three papers accepted for publication in peer-reviewed journals.

In the first paper, CPWS staff member Dr Wendy Gidman has had her paper on family friendly working conditions in community pharmacy accepted by the International Journal of Pharmacy Practice. The paper is entitled "Does community pharmacy offer women family friendly working conditions and equal opportunities? The accounts of female community pharmacists over the age of 30." The paper was co-authored by Dr Karen Hassell (CPWS), Dr Jenny Day (University of Liverpool) and Dr Katherine Payne (University of Manchester).

The second paper, entitled "Flexible working: Understanding the locum pharmacist in Great Britain", authored by Phil Shann and Dr Karen Hassell, used qualitative methods to explore why locums choose self-employment and to explore issues such as marginalisation and job satisfaction. The paper is available in the journal Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy (Vol 2), published October 2006.

The third paper, published in Pharmacy, World and Science, entitled "Destination future intentions and views on practice of British-based pharmacists 5 and 10 years after qualifying,"  authored by Dr Karen Hassell compares the work profile and employment destination of two graduate cohort of pharmacists to explore what changes take place in employment practices and how quickly they occur.