Pharmacy Forum Northern Ireland is pleased to launch Bridging the Gap – A Guide for Newly Qualified Pharmacists in Northern Ireland, a practical resource designed to support pharmacists as they transition from trainee to registered professional. Supporting the Transition into Practice The guide was developed by Pharmacy Forum NI's Early Career Pharmacist Working Group, established in November 2025. The group brings together pharmacists with five years or less post-registratio

The UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board (UKPPLAB) has published a landmark document, the Concordat for Delivery, setting out the next steps towards creating a more inclusive Royal College of Pharmacy by 2030. This marks a significant milestone for pharmacy professional leadership across the UK and reflects a shared commitment to strengthening the profession for the benefit of patients, the public, and everyone working within pharmacy. Why This Matters Professio

Considering the recent unrest, we write to remind you of resource that is available to you should you be feeling anxious or vulnerable at this time. Pharmacists Advice and Support Service (PASS) is a charity established with the sole purpose of supporting: Pharmacists in Northern Ireland Former Pharmacists Foundation Year Trainees Widows & Widowers of Pharmacists Dependants of a Pharmacist in times of hardship or distress. It is a confidential service. If you have been affec

Pharmacy Forum NI has endorsed the RPS Professional Standards for Optimising Medicines for People in Secure Environments 2017 for use in Northern Ireland. The standards were authored by the NHS England Immigration Removal Centres Medicine Improvement Programme Working Group, with the Health and Justice Sector. Together they reviewed the RPS Hospital Standards, alongside recommendations made in the Shaw Review, to develop professional standards for optimising medicines for pe

In December 2025, new legislation was approved by UK government that enables pharmacists to authorise other members of the pharmacy team to conduct certain tasks. You can read more about that legislation in a letter from the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer here. In NI, the only part of the legislation that currently applies is that relating to pharmacist authorisation, i.e. when a pharmacist chooses to authorise another member/(s) of the pharmacy team to hand out medicines that