The foundation trainee pharmacist programme from 2025/2026

Welcome to the foundation trainee pharmacist programme website. Here you can find out about pharmacist foundation training and the resources available that you will need.

Background

In January 2021, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) published the revised standards for the initial education and training of pharmacists. 

The fifth-year of the initial education and training of pharmacists is now called the foundation trainee pharmacist programme (FTPP). This takes place after pharmacy students graduate from a MPharm or OSPAP degree, unless they are enrolled on a 5-year MPharm with integrated training.

Trainee pharmacists must successfully complete all of the requirements of a GPhC accredited foundation trainee pharmacist programme in order to join the register as a pharmacist.

Foundation training consolidates the initial learning and education from a MPharm or OSPAP degree and, offers on-the-job, practical training in a clinical setting or settings. This enables trainee pharmacists to build upon their pharmacy knowledge, understanding, skills and behaviours, and previous experience, and apply them in the practice setting in preparation for registration.

The GPhC has set out NHS England’s role in the managing the quality of all foundation training sites in England and delegated a range of responsibilities to us as part of this. This means NHS England has delegated responsibility from the GPhC for the management and delivery of the foundation trainee pharmacist programme in England.

GPhC accreditation/recognition reports for NHS England and the accreditation/recognition period can be found on the GPhC website.

Trainee pharmacists must be aware that successful completion of the GPhC accredited NHS England foundation training programme is not a guarantee of registration or annotation with the GPhC, or of future employment.

GPhC learning outcomes

The 2021 standards for the initial education and training of pharmacists (IETP) introduced a new set of learning outcomes that cover the full five years of education and training.  

The revised learning outcomes include pharmacist independent prescribing. Universities have developed their MPharm courses to incorporate independent prescribing learning outcomes, so that graduates that enter foundation training from the 2025/26 training year will be prepared for the inclusion of prescribing training and assessment in their foundation year.

Individuals who have graduated from an MPharm against the previous learning outcomes, or from an overseas pharmacists assessment programme (OSPAP) will complete foundation training against a modified set of learning outcomes called the GPhC interim learning outcomes, which do not include independent prescribing.

Our role in pharmacist foundation training

Pharmacist foundation training is designed to give trainee pharmacists the support, direction, information and resources they need to bridge the transition from studying to registering as pharmacists. The GPhC has set out our role in the managing the quality of all foundation training sites in England and delegated a range of responsibilities to us as part of this. We provide a practice-based assessment strategy which includes assessment activities and assessment tools, an E-portfolio, virtual learning and information resources. These resources support the assurance of quality in the foundation training and assessment of all trainee pharmacists in England.

The titles below provide links to pages that cover the following key topics: