Public Services Delivery Scotland (previously NES) - Pharmacy Podcast New Episode
Published: 10th September 2026
Our colleagues at PSDS have shared with us the link to their latest podcast, where the guests speak through early careers development for Pharmacists in Scotland - if you are considering applying for the programme in the article above, this is for you!
This information was correct at the time of publication. Policy and guidance can change, so please check our latest news for the current position. For anything else, please contact enquiries@cps.scot
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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It is the refreshed replacement for the previous post-registration foundation programme, developed by PSD Scotland (formerly NES) and aligned to the Royal College of Pharmacy's new enhanced curriculum. The word "foundation" has been dropped from the title to avoid confusion with the Foundation Training Year. There are now two pathways, one for prescribers and one for non-prescribers, and the independent prescribing course has been removed from the prescriber pathway because most newly qualified pharmacists now join the register as prescribers. The programme is expected to take around 24 months to complete.
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Assessment is now modular, which means pharmacists can submit for the full enhanced credential or focus initially on domains one and two, the clinical domains, before deciding whether to progress to domains three, four and five. In the episode, both PSD Scotland and CPS acknowledge that many community pharmacists are likely to start with the clinical domains. That flexibility reflects feedback CPS has fed into UK and Scottish forums, though the shared ambition is that full credentialing for all pharmacists follows in time.
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Registration details are on the PSD Scotland website under programmes for pharmacists early in their career. Pharmacists should discuss the programme with their employer before registering and will need a named Educational Supervisor in place when they start. PSD Scotland recognises that pharmacists in independents, or in rural and island settings without a large education and training team behind them, may need extra help, and the team can be contacted directly at nes.pharmacistfp@nhs.scot. Support includes clinical skills training and simulation, online education sessions and a library of recordings, plus "activities in practice" that map everyday work to the programme outcomes.
The programme (Supporting documents - Programme for Government 2026 to 2031 - gov.scot) proposes radical reshaping of Scotland’s public services, focusing on structural reform rather than just new spending or isolated policy pledges.