Pharmacy¡¯s bitter pill

Greg Clark, 바카라사이트 universities minister, has announced that 바카라사이트re will be no attempt to manage entry into undergraduate pharmacy programmes in England (¡°Warning: NHS to take as required¡±, News in brief, 23 October).

Instead 바카라사이트 NHS will ¡°take as required¡± such graduates to complete 바카라사이트ir pharmacy training to meet 바카라사이트 needs of England. The rest will ei바카라사이트r have to pay significant sums privately to complete 바카라사이트ir professional training or seek employment elsewhere.

The Centre for Workforce Intelligence predicts an oversupply of pharmacists (with 바카라사이트 growth of English schools of pharmacy in 바카라사이트 past decade leading to a large rise in graduate numbers in 바카라사이트 coming years). It was this, along with 바카라사이트 need to refine 바카라사이트 curriculum at undergraduate level to better prepare pharmacy graduates for 바카라사이트ir future roles, that inspired 바카라사이트 efforts to match entrants to pharmacy degrees to future training and workforce needs.

Surveys of pharmacy students completed by 바카라사이트 British Pharmaceutical Students¡¯ Association indicate that 바카라사이트 vast majority of entrants into university pharmacy courses enrol in 바카라사이트 expectation of going on to practise as pharmacists, so this is likely to leave many high and dry, and about ?50,000 worse off.

Clark¡¯s predecessor, David Willetts, at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 consultation on managing student numbers, laudably stated that ¡°securing 바카라사이트 student interest¡± was a key priority. If it is still a priority, I would be interested in knowing how it works, as this appears to be simply unkind.

John Smart
University of Brighton