Pharmacy Contraception Service training

Competency and training requirements

Pharmacy owners must ensure that pharmacy staff providing any aspect of the service are competent to do so in line with the specific skills and knowledge in the service specification and the relevant PGDs. This may involve completion of training.

Pharmacy owners need to keep documentary evidence that all pharmacy staff involved in any aspect of provision of the service are competent with regards to the specific skills and knowledge outlined in the service specification and the relevant PGDs. 

Pharmacists providing the service will be personally responsible for remaining up to date with the skills and competencies identified in the service specification and associated PGDs.

To provide the service, the pharmacist should have evidence of competence in the clinical skills and knowledge covered in the below listed training modules on the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) and/or the Health Education England e-learning for healthcare (elfh).

CPPE also has a list of the modules and other useful tools and resources on the NHS PCS page of their website.

Note – packages that are highly recommended are indicated by an asterisk *  

Mandatory training 

Pharmacists providing the service must have completed one of the recommended Safeguarding level 3 training materials OR have direct access to professional advice from someone who can advise on Safeguarding at Level 3.  

• Safeguarding Level 3 - Safeguarding Children and Adults Level 3 for Community Pharmacists – video on elfh;  

OR   

• Safeguarding Level 3 elfh Safeguarding Children and Young People (SGC) – Safeguarding Children Level 3.   

Recommended training modules 

• * CPPE Emergency contraception e-learning including emergency contraception e-assessment;   
• * CPPE Contraception e-learning including contraception e-assessment;   

OR the following four subsections of:   

• *Module 3 – Contraceptive Choices of the FSRH Sexual and Reproductive Health e-learning (e-SRH) on elfh:  

• • 03_01: Mechanism of action, effectiveness and UKMEC; 
  • 03_02: Choosing contraceptive methods; 
  • 03_03: Combined hormonal contraception; and  
  • 03_04: Progestogen only methods (oral and injectable).  

• * CPPE Sexual health in pharmacies e- learning and e-assessment;   

OR the following four subsections of   

• *Module 9 – STIs of the FSRH e-SRH on elfh:  

• • 09_01: Epidemiology and transmission of STIs;  
  • 09_02: Sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing;  
  • 09_03: STI management; and  
  • 09_04: Partner notification.  

AND one subsection in the   

• *External Resources module of the Sexual Health (PWP) e-learning on elfh:  

• FSRH – Contraception counselling eLearning.   

 Initiation  of contraception

• The following subsections of Module 2 – Consent and history taking of FSRH e-SRH on elfh:  

• • 02_01 Health history and risk assessment; and   
  • 02_02 Confidentiality, chaperones, and consent.  

• The following subsection of Module 3 – Contraceptive choices of the FSRH e-SRH on elfh:  

• • * 03_07 Barrier contraceptives  

• The following subsections of Module 5 – Contraception: managing side-effects and complications of the FSRH e-SRH on elfh:  

• • 05_01 Managing bleeding problems in women using contraceptives;  
  • 05_02 Managing contraceptive side-effects; and 
  • 05_03 Managing side-effects and complications of IUD and IUS.  

Other training to support clinical practice  

• CPPE Documenting in patient clinical records e-learning;  
• CPPE Remote consultation skills e-learning;  
• Patient group directions e-learning on elfh; and  
• CPPE consultation skills for pharmacy practice: taking a person-centred approach and e-assessment. 

Pharmacy team training 

The whole pharmacy team can proactively promote this service. Teams should be briefed on the service and coached on how to best approach people about the service.  A pharmacy team briefing and a guide on how to recruit people is available to assist pharmacy owners to engage and coach their team members. 

Pharmacy staff who are going to provide blood pressure measurements and BMI calculations must have the necessary training required to undertake blood pressure readings and measure an individual’s weight and height. These staff need must: 

• Be familiar with the appropriate sections of NICE guideline Hypertension in adults: diagnosis and management [NG136]; 
• Have read and understood the operational processes to provide blood pressure and BMI measurements; and 
• Have completed the recommended training on how to use the blood pressure monitoring equipment which should be provided by the equipment manufacturer/supplier.