Collaborative OTC Workshop with pre-reg technicians and trainee pharmacists

Responding to the needs of trainee pharmacists, Yusra Choudry, a Midlands Training Programme Facilitator (TPF) designed a 3-hour over the counter workshop which the pharmacy team have been delivering across the region to trainee pharmacists within their integrated care system (ICS). The workshop comprised of role play scenarios, MCQs and subsequent discussions. The format and content of the workshop has been positively received.

Vanessa Morley, Lead Technician for Education and Training, and Rabiya Mansoor, Lead Pharmacist for Professional Development, at Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust suggested a different approach where pre-registration technicians learn alongside trainee pharmacists.

On 30 January Rajinder Kaur and Nargis Gulzar delivered the workshop to three trainee pharmacists and six pre-registration technicians at their trust. None of the learners had previous experience of learning alongside another member of the multidisciplinary team. Learners found all aspects of the workshop either useful or very useful and both professions responded positively to the collaborative learning approach.

Learners found the interactivity, group discussions and feedback aspect of the workshop the most positive. The workshop helped learners to identify further individual learning needs, for example:

"I have made a note of some medication monitoring that I need to look into like warfarin.” Trainee pharmacist.

“I need to learn more about the specific legalities and restrictions of OTC sales. I will use the resources discussed during the session and conversations with my colleagues to help me learn.” Pre-registration technician.