Motion 29
Train Them Here - Expanding Foundation Training Year Places for Pharmacy Graduates
“That this Congress knows that pharmacy graduates must complete a Foundation Training Year (FTY) and pass the registration assessment before joining the professional register. This is a vital step to ensure a safe and competent pharmacist workforce.
“Congress is alarmed that, despite our requests, Scotland continues to provide only 220 funded FTY places, despite producing significantly more graduates last year and likely this year. This shortfall forces many graduates to leave Scotland for training, risking permanent loss of talent and weakening our NHS workforce, or waiting to apply the following year, compounding demand.
“Congress believes this situation is unacceptable. Scotland invests in educating pharmacy students yet fails to provide the final step for them to practice and serve our communities. Every graduate educated in Scotland should have the opportunity to complete their training here and benefit our communities.
“Congress therefore calls on the General Council to lobby the Scottish Government to:
- commit to urgent action by increasing funding for FTY places to match the number of graduates from Scotland’s universities, with flexibility for additional applicants;
- publish a clear timeline for expansion of training places and report progress publicly to ensure accountability;
- develop a long-term workforce plan that guarantees sufficient training capacity for the pharmacists the nation requires, recognising their critical role including their contribution to primary care and medicines optimisation; and
- work with UK counterparts to tackle the national management of adequate supply of training places and prevent unwanted displacement of graduates across borders.
“Congress further believes that failure to act will deepen recruitment challenges and increase reliance on overseas-trained pharmacists who will not be independent prescribers, unlike future cohorts of MPharm graduates. Scotland must invest now to retain its pharmacy graduates and secure the future of its healthcare system.”
Mover: Pharmacists Defence Association (PDA)
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