Objectives To compare practice pharmacists and community pharmacists based on the use of the General Level Framework (GLF) as a tool to support continuing professional development (CPD). Setting Primary care and community pharmacy in London and the East of England. Method The study pharmacists were self‐selected after distribution of recruitment packs in the study area through local pharmaceutical committees, primary care trusts and two large multiples. Sixty‐nine pharmacists used the framework to support their CPD (42 community pharmacists and 27 with a role in primary care pharmacy). Pharmacists made an initial self‐assessment against the GLF and then used the framework over a 12‐month period to identify learning needs for CPD. Pharmacists identified their desired performance levels for the behaviours in the framework, based on guidance from the project team, and then identified their learning needs by comparing the desired performance level with their self‐assessment. Pharmacists were visited at 4 and 8months by a trained facilitator to support their self‐assessment and progress with CPD. Final self‐assessments were collected at 12months. Assessment ratings for the delivery of patient‐care competencies were compared. Key findings There was no difference in the probability of either group achieving their desired performance level (log rank = 0.023, 1 df, P = 0.878): pharmacists achieved their desired performance level irrespective of their sector of work, demonstrating the applicability of the GLF to the different sectors of practice. Practice pharmacists had a higher aggregated score for the desired performance levels than the community pharmacists (Mann‐Whitney U = 10.500, P < 0.001; median = 133.0 and 119.5 respectively). Conclusion Both groups of pharmacists were able to apply the framework to their practice and use it to support their CPD, resulting in increasing self‐assessed competency scores over time. The higher desired performance level for practice pharmacists compared with community pharmacists conveys a difference, perceived or actual, between the two roles. Irrespective of the difference in desired performance levels, both groups of pharmacists have improved, to meet their level of expectation, over the 12‐month period.

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Community pharmacy in England has played an increasing role in public health the last 20 years. [1] Recent policy changes, since the introduction of the NHS contractual framework in April 2005, [2] have moved pharmacy towards a more healthfocused approach. The development of public health roles enables pharmacists to provide services beyond supply of medicines such as advice about healthy lifestyles. Pharmacists work at the heart of communities making them ideally placed to promote health and deliver services to improve the health of patients and the public. The aim of this study was to evaluate the views of members of the public concerning their use, and the acceptability of, community pharmacy services designed to improve public health. Medway School of Pharmacy Ethics Committee granted ethical approval for this study.A series of street-survey structured interviews were conducted in shopping centres and High Streets at four locations in the south-east of England during a 4 week period.Respondents were asked ten questions (open and closed), regarding their health; the pharmacy services they had used; and, the services they would consider using. The inclusion criteria were adults willing to participate and the exclusion criteria were children and young people under 18 years of age. A sample of 384 adults was required (95% confidence level and 5% confidence interval) to be representative of the adult population in England. Data was subject to descriptive statistics and content analysis.A total of 480 people were interviewed from 2,416 approached, a response rate of approximately 20%. Respondents were 72% (n = 345) female and 28% (n = 135) male; 4% aged 18/19 years; 49% ages between 20-59; 35% 60-74 and 12% over 75 years. The respondents stated ethnicity was 80% White-British, 8% Asian-British, 10% Black-African/Caribbean and 2% refused to answer. The usage of pharmacies by respondents was exceptionally high, 99% (n = 476). People aged more than 75 years reported the highest regular use of pharmacy (27%, n = 16) compared with only 11% (n = 2) of younger adults (18-19 years). Only 2% (n = 1) of people over 75 said they very rarely used pharmacies compared with 39%, (n = 7) of young adults aged 18-19 years.Supply of prescribed medication to people over 60 years (84%, n = 189) and sales of over the counter medicine to people less than 60 years (64%, n = 164) were the most frequently used pharmacy services. When asked to state, from a list, which other pharmacy services they had accessed 44% (n = 210) had asked pharmacists for advice; 8% (n = 37) medicines use review; 8% blood pressure testing; 7% (n = 33) minor ailments scheme; and 3% each for stop smoking, vaccination, emergency contraception, and cholesterol testing. Services they indicated they would be willing to use were vaccinations 31% (n = 61); blood pressure testing; 30% (n = 59); cholesterol testing (28%, n = 54); minor ailments scheme (11%, n = 21); 10% each for diabetes testing and stop smoking; and 6% (n = 12) for weight management.Whilst it can be seen...