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Background. Advanced General Practice Clinical Pharmacists (GPCPs) are expected to manage patients by undertaking clinical assessment then make safe, competent autonomous decisions. Simulation provides a safe learning environment to develop clinical skills, but is rarely used for postgraduate pharmacist development. Aim. Design and deliver innovative simulation teaching to support Advanced GPCPs in Scotland. Setting. General Practice. Development. Experienced clinical pharmacy educators designed a simulation day with ten scenarios based on general practice clinical presentations. Learning objectives were mapped to the National Advanced GPCP competency framework. Implementation. Simulation took place at the National Skills Education Hub, Louisa Jordan National Hospital, Glasgow, November 2020. Participants were briefed prior to each immersive simulation. Mannequins were used if clinical signs were expected to be identified on examination. Verbal and written feedback was given after each simulation. Evaluation. Pre and post simulation questionnaires were developed. Increase in confidence and competence were reported in all areas pertaining to application of consultation and clinical skills. Qualitative comments from the participants regarding the training course were also favourable with respondents highlighting the value of the training, especially in terms of developing confidence via the real-time feedback. Conclusion. This innovative simulation evaluated as being of value to GPCPs in developing clinical confidence and competence when dealing with a variety of typical General Practice scenarios. Plans are underway to establish a Scottish Pharmacy Simulation Faculty which could support this training in each health board.

Background A Pharmacy Longitudinal Clerkship (PLC) was designed to develop student pharmacists’ (SPs) competence in a general practice setting. Aim The aim was to carry out a theoretically underpinned qualitative evaluation of stakeholder perceptions of influences of behavioural determinants on SP development for clinical practice in general practice. Method General practice-based PLCs were delivered in 2019/20 and 2020/21 for two cohorts of SPs in NHS Highland, Scotland. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were used to explore stakeholder perceptions of influences of behavioural determinants on SP development. Informed written consent was obtained. An interview schedule was developed and piloted using the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic methodology. Ethics approval was granted. Results Seven SPs and five general practitioner (GP) tutors were interviewed. Key themes were identified mapped to TDF domains and included: knowledge—utilisation and practical application of knowledge; skills—triangulation of skills under clinical supervision; beliefs about capabilities—confidence building with clinical and patient contact; professional role and identity—elucidation of professional roles within general practice. Conclusion This evaluation shows benefits of embedding SPs within clinical teams and immersing them in a clinical environment over a prolonged period in a general practice Pharmacy Longitudinal Clerkship. It is expected this will translate into a more confident transition to postgraduate professional clinical practice. Funding should be sought to test alternative PLC arrangements including: multiple full-time longitudinal placement blocks; or ultimately a year-long longitudinal clerkship programme with an IPE element.

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