Indicative Curricula for the MPharm and Foundation Training Year

To support the implementation of the standards for initial education and training of pharmacists (IETPs), a number of priority subjects were identified by NHS England WT&E and Pharmacy Schools Council for the development of indicative curricula. Indicative curricula are designed to support an effective continuum of learning and training across the 5 years of initial education and training. The indicative curricula are:

• Prescribing
• Public Health and Health Inequalities
• Genomics
• Antimicrobial Resistance and Antimicrobial Stewardship
• Clinical Reasoning

These documents are intended to provide a series of resources to guide the teaching content in both the MPharm and Foundation Training to support effective initial education and training of pharmacists in England. They will support undergraduate pharmacy students and trainee pharmacists to successfully demonstrate the learning outcomes of the IETPs and RPS Prescribing Competencies. They are not compulsory to use but can be used as a guide to support all educators.

In addition to the indicative curricula, a suite of national resources are available for trainee pharmacists to support learning and development.

Interim learning outcomes

The 2021 revised standards for the Initial Education and Training of Pharmacists integrate learning outcomes that demonstrate competency as an Independent Prescriber at the point of registration from 2025/26.

To support this, universities are currently developing their MPharm courses to incorporate independent prescribing learning outcomes, so that graduates that enter the 2025/26 training year will be prepared for the inclusion of prescribing training and assessment in their foundation year.

Until this point, the learning outcomes for training years 2021/22–2024/25 have been modified by the General Pharmaceutical Council to reflect this. The NHS England Foundation Trainee Pharmacist Programme Assessment Strategy will evolve, to incorporate independent prescribing training and assessment in the 2025/26 training year.

Update and review process

The curricula are intended to be live documents that continue to be co-developed during the period of Initial Education and Training reform.

Colleagues in pharmacy schools, NHS England and other organisations can use the survey below to submit suggested additions and amendments to any of the indicative curricula. A joint editorial team consisting of NHS England and Pharmacy Schools Council representatives will review these submissions on a 6-monthly basis. Updated versions will be published on this page.

• Submit additions and amendments 

Prescribing training curriculum

By 2026, the aim is for all newly registered pharmacists to be able to independently prescribe medicines.  Working with the Pharmacy Schools Council, we have created an indicative curriculum to support the effective training of undergraduate pharmacy students and trainee pharmacists in England, so that they can successfully demonstrate the learning outcomes of the Initial Education and Training standards that link to becoming a prescriber.

This curriculum for prescribing training is designed to guide the teaching content in both the MPharm (years 1 - 4) and the Foundation Training Year (Year 5), ready for implementation in 2025/26. We encourage education colleagues to share in its development.

 Updated: Clinical and Physical Examination Skills

The joint prescribing curriculum now has an updated list of suggested clinical and physical examination skills that should be covered during the initial education and training period. This is the result of a consensus research study conducted by a UK University, exploring the skills that a range of pharmacy professionals in different sectors and specialities of practice would want to see covered. The results of this study have informed the changes to Appendix 1, including the differentiation between a suggested ‘core’ and ‘additional’ set of skills. We invite colleagues involved in MPharm and foundation training year provision to review these new changes.

• View the live document
• Submit additions and amendments

Public Health and Health Inequalities

This curriculum for public health and health inequalities is designed to guide the teaching content in both the MPharm (years 1 - 4) and the Foundation Training Year (Year 5) to support effective initial education and training in England. It covers the topics of health promotion, prescribing in relation to public health, health behaviours, health inequalities, social diversity, health protection and public health themes. We encourage education colleagues to share in its development.

• View the live document
• Submit additions and amendments

Genomics

This curriculum for genomics is designed to guide the teaching content in both the MPharm (years 1 - 4) and the Foundation Training Year (Year 5) to support effective initial education and training in England. It covers an overview of genomic medicine, the applications of genomic medicine and drug safety. We encourage education colleagues to share in its development.

• View the live document
• Submit additions and amendments 

Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products

Within the national resources developed for trainee pharmacists there are links to e-learning modules and a video series recorded by Anne Black from Specialist Pharmacy Services are available.

Antimicrobial Resistance and Antimicrobial Stewardship

This curriculum for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is designed to guide the teaching content in both the MPharm (years 1 - 4) and the Foundation Training Year (Year 5) to support effective initial education and training in England. It covers infection prevention and control, antimicrobial and antimicrobial resistance, antimicrobial stewardship, vaccine uptake, person centred care and interprofessional collaborative practice. We encourage education colleagues to share in its development.

• View the live document
• Submit additions and amendments

Additionally, NHS England has published the following resources:

• Antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial stewardship pharmacy undergraduate competency framework
• Pharmacy undergraduate antimicrobial resistance/antimicrobial stewardship practice-based assessment framework for use by designated supervisors

Clinical Reasoning

This curriculum for clinical reasoning is designed to guide the teaching content in both the MPharm (years 1 - 4) and the Foundation Training Year (Year 5) to support effective initial education and training in England. It covers an overview of clinical reasoning, the use and interpretation of diagnostic tests, understanding of cognitive biases and human factors, critical thinking and evidence based practice. We encourage education colleagues to share in its development.

• View the live document
• Submit additions and amendments

Frequently Asked Questions

Are schools of pharmacy required to use these curricula?

Use of the curricula is not a requirement for schools of pharmacy. The aim is for the curricula to be practical and useful documents that all schools can access and refer to as needed.

How often are the curricula updated?

Suggested additions and amendments can be made at any time via this survey. These will be reviewed by a joint editorial team consisting of NHS England and Pharmacy Schools Council representatives, to provide updates to the curricula every 6 months.

Please contact the national pharmacy team at england.pharmacyteam@nhs.net with any additional questions.