NHS priorities

Whether it’s to prepare for the next Pharmacy Quality Scheme deadline, or to increase your confidence in helping people with a learning disability, this section provides topic-specific pages that link to current NHS priorities. This section will support you in keeping your knowledge and skills up to date in order to provide high-quality pharmacy services and be service-ready.

Clinical pharmacy

Our clinical portfolio is expanding on a frequent basis, helping you to advance your knowledge and skills and deliver medicines optimisation in practice for all sectors of pharmacy. From two new focal points a year to our small group learning for hospital pharmacists – Optimise – this section focuses on clinical pharmacy, diseases and therapeutics.

Public health

The public health agenda is embedded in pharmacy, yet topics such as emergency contraception or stop smoking support are as prevalent as ever. As well as our public health workshops, use this section to access a wide range of resources to assure and maintain your competence, all underpinned by the Declaration of Competence system.

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online workshop

Learning disabilities - medicines optimisation support (Primary care pathways)


  • Released: 05/2020
  • Reviewed: 06/2024
  • Study time: 9h:0m

This event is only for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who are taking part in one of the primary care extended education pathways.

The overall aim of this programme is to raise your awareness of the challenges faced by people with a learning disability in using medicines, especially those with long-term conditions or taking multiple medicines. This will enable you to support people with a learning disability to optimise their medicines, health and wellbeing. It will also help you ensure that people with a learning disability have a review of psychotropic medicines and, if appropriate, a gradual reduction and withdrawal of medicines.

Learning outcomes

On completion of all aspects of this learning programme you should be able to:

  • identify strategies to support people with a learning disability (and their carers) to optimise their medicines, health and wellbeing
  • apply verbal and non-verbal communication techniques to engage people with a learning disability in discussions about their medicines
  • describe how to appropriately involve carers, family members and support workers in the consultation and identify how to gain consent to do this
  • explain the place for medicines use and non-pharmacological intervention in the treatment of behaviour that challenges
  • distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate psychotropic prescribing for people with a learning disability
  • identify people with a learning disability who may benefit from a review of psychotropic medication.

How to use this programme

We deliver our online workshops using Zoom. When you book onto this event you will receive a separate email (from the tutor via Zoom) with a unique invitation link. Please do not share the link with others. The email also allows you to add the event (including the invitation link) to your digital calendar of choice. You can also find a copy of the link on your CPPE My bookings page.

Please note

  • You will need to be connected to the internet for the duration of the online workshop.
  • To get the most from this workshop we recommend that you use a laptop or desktop computer.
  • Log into the event in enough time to enable you to resolve any technology issues before the official start. If you join after the official start time, the facilitator may not be able to admit you into the workshop.
  • This is an interactive workshop and you must have your camera on throughout. You will need a microphone available to speak during the event. This is important for building rapport, ensuring engagement and supporting accessibility.
  • Please ensure you are in a quiet room with no distractions.
  • You must not join while travelling.
  • We expect you to prepare for our events by completing all pre-workshop activities. Details of these will be emailed to you by the tutor or can be found on your My bookings page.
  • Please ensure that you can attend for the entire workshop – attendance will only be marked if you attend and participate fully. 

If you can no longer attend or wish to cancel your place on this event, you must do so via your My bookings page. Our cancellation policy will apply to late cancellations, or if you do not cancel and fail to attend the event.

If you have any queries or concerns regarding your participation in the workshop, or have any requirements that we can support you with, please do not hesitate to contact the lead tutor. For more information, read our inclusivity statement.

Watch a video explaining what to expect from our online learning programmes.

Learning intended for

  • Pharmacists
  • Pharmacy technicians