Training & Development
Training & Development.
Department overview
Coordinated learning, from day one to senior pharmacist.
Our programmes
A full learning ecosystem for primary care pharmacists.
Induction training
Introduction to BCS, primary care, core practice work, systems and the supervisor team. Mandatory for every new pharmacist.
SMR training
Structured Medication Review training, mandatory and aligned to the national framework.
CPPE pathway completion
Every BCS pharmacist completes the CPPE pathway with structured support and tracking.
Fortnightly training
Structured group sessions covering clinical and operational topics, tracked on the Fortnightly Training Tracker.
Clinical Gems & Knowledge Bank
Bite-size clinical learning built and maintained by the team — searchable, practical, always current.
GP support sessions
Weekly supervised clinical sessions with Dr Ahmed (GP Principal): 1:1 peer discussions, group tutorials and CEPSAR/MR-CAT support.
Systems training
EMIS, SystmOne and operational platform training so pharmacists hit the ground running in any practice.
Ad-hoc training
Targeted training in response to QA referrals or specific practice needs.
Train the Trainer
Developing senior pharmacists as future supervisors and educators across the BCS network.
What we teach
Clinical topics we cover.
- BNF chapters with a focus on long-term conditions
- Medication monitoring
- QOF work
- Core practice work & workload management
- Polypharmacy & deprescribing
- Heart failure management
- Diabetes management
- HRT & women's health
- CQC compliance & requirements
- IIF, DES and BeCCoR frameworks
- Structured Medication Reviews (SMRs)
- CEPSAR & MR-CAT completion
Clinical supervision
Supervision that's built into every week.
Daily
In-hub supervisor support. Senior pharmacists available on-site and via the BCS Support WhatsApp group for real-time clinical and operational queries.
Every Tuesday
Structured supervision with Dr Ahmed (GP Principal): 1:1 peer discussions, group tutorials, CEPSAR and MR-CAT support, and weekly huddles.
Fortnightly
Formal training sessions on clinical and operational topics, tracked on the Fortnightly Training Tracker.
Ongoing
Clinical Gems, Knowledge Bank updates, QA-referred ad-hoc training and full access to CPPE online resources.
University placements
A one-of-a-kind primary care placement experience.
BCS offers structured, supervised pharmacy placements for fourth-year MPharm students from the University of Bradford and the University of Huddersfield. In 2024 we formalised a 5-year partnership with the University of Huddersfield — one of very few primary care providers in the UK to hold this kind of long-term academic partnership.
Most students do placements in hospital or community. A BCS placement gives them direct, supervised exposure to real-world primary care pharmacy — a setting most never see during their degree.
- Bespoke weekly agenda aligned to GPhC competency standards
- Shadow real clinical activity across EMIS and SystmOne
- Case-based discussions and CBD case study presentations
- Support from T&D, Operations and SDT across Halifax and London
- Exposure to SMRs, QOF, CQC and medicines optimisation workflows
- BCS Appraisal Framework completion with primary care focus
Platforms & tools
How we manage and track learning.
Asana
Project and training coordination across the T&D team.
OneDrive
Resource sharing and documentation for every cohort.
CPPE website
Pathway tracking and CPD support for every BCS pharmacist.
BCS training trackers
Internal fortnightly and ad-hoc tracking tools — every pharmacist gets a clear record of their development.
Ready to join a network that invests in you?
BCS pharmacists get structured training, weekly GP-led supervision, CPPE pathway support and a team behind them every step of the way.
For practices
Want to know how our training standards protect the quality of the pharmacists we place in your practice?
Read about our QA process and the management layer that keeps every service performing.