Supporting Community Pharmacists to Self-declare Competence

The Community Pharmacy Competence group supports staff working in community sectors of pharmacy across the North West. The group was set up in 2013 and is responsible for taking forward work to enable community pharmacists to complete Declarations of Competence (DoCs), in order to deliver locally commissioned services. This work builds on that of the Harmonisation of Accreditation group (HAG), which enabled harmonised requirements across PCT boundaries, providing quality assurance, reducing duplication and streamlining PCT training requirements.Engagement and learning has taken place between commissioners, employers and pharmacists across the North West, with commissioners in Manchester (where the project was piloted) giving positive feedback. Other regions are also interested in using these documents, and engagement at a national level, within Health Education England (HEE) and Public Health England (PHE) has also occurred. As a result national recognition is being sought and a more formal project is planned to review impact alongside further roll-out.