Will the Minister confirm whether the updated Pharmacy: Delivering a Healthier Wales plan includes any targets for the number of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians?
The updated Pharmacy: Delivering a Healthier Wales plan sets out aspirations for how pharmacy practice will develop in Wales in the next three years.
‘Developing the Pharmacy Workforce’ remains an important theme in the Pharmacy: Delivering a Healthier Wales (P:DaHW) update that was launched 27 October. The goals within P:DaHW have been developed by the profession and endorsed by myself.
The Welsh Government continue to support and develop the pharmacy workforce and has committed funding via the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework for both pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
Health Education Improvement Wales (HEIW) will continue to support up to 100 pharmacists to undertake prescribing training each year, building on the 129 community pharmacist Independent Prescribers (IPs) who are already delivering services. As a result of the new contract agreement with community pharmacies, Presgripsiwn Newydd - A New Prescription (gov.wales) launched 1 April this year, and investment of up to £4.2m during 2022-23 we expect to see a significant increase in the provision of community pharmacist IP services.
In addition, HEIW are supporting training for up to 20 pre-registration pharmacy technicians each year with up to £4.3m available via the new contract to incentivise the recruitment and training of pharmacy technicians in community pharmacy specifically.
The Welsh Government are committed to working with HEIW, Health Boards and employers across Wales, and the pharmacy profession themselves to ensure that our workforce have the skills, knowledge and experience necessary to care for the people of Wales.
The full original Pharmacy: Delivering a Healthier Wales document can be accessed via the website. The updated plan containing the 2025 Goals can be accessed in both English and Welsh.