The Committee exists to provide co-ordination in pharmacy education, development, and training within National Health Service organisations primarily, but not exclusively, in secondary care. This co-ordination leads to a single point of contact on all matters relating to NHS pharmacy education and training. Members of the committee usually have responsibility for education and training across a geographical area equivalent to several counties and between them cover all staff groups within pharmacy and the whole of the UK.

Designated representatives of the committee may meet with other organisations or act on behalf of the whole group. Representatives of other bodies are invited to meet with the committee when appropriate. Members can thus influence, respond to, and implement policies with a wide range of organisations. 

Members share information, ideas, and developments for the greater good of the service, thus avoiding duplication of effort and facilitating new initiatives and best practice. The committee is thus a focus for the development of the profession’s contribution to patient care. 

Members co-operate on projects that would be difficult to do in other ways, or which benefit from input from across the home countries. Examples include syllabus or curriculum development, surveys, strategic planning, report writing, responding to external bodies, and recruitment initiatives. Some work is devolved to specialist groups for greater efficiency. New post holders are mentored and supported in their roles by their more experienced peers. 

The committee has no executive authority but acts on the basis of consensus and co-operation.

Examples of our achievements include: 

• National surveys on pharmacy recruitment and retention

• Co-ordinated recruitment of pharmacy graduates across England and Wales.

• Syllabus and support materials for cross-sector pre-registration training

• Framework for accuracy checking of dispensed items for pharmacy
  technicians

• Development of syllabus for NVQ level 2 in pharmacy services

Committee structure 

The committee meets in three groups.

The Main Committee considers broader issues and pharmacist-specific education while the Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacists Specialist Group and the Pharmacy Technician and Support Staff (pre and post qualification) Group consider matters relating to those staff groupings.