About the podcast series
This six-episode series brings together experienced clinicians, new prescribers and representatives from national organisations to explore what safe, confident prescribing looks like in practice. Through honest conversations and practical insights, the series examines how prescribers can build competence and confidence, effectively use national tools, navigate professional responsibilities, and access appropriate support when needed.
Each episode offers a unique perspective, combining personal stories, practical guidance, and clear takeaways to help prescribers strengthen their practice, regardless of where they are in their prescribing journey.
Episodes will be released weekly, with new episodes published each Monday.
Trailer
This episode introduces the Prescribing with Confidence podcast series as trainee pharmacists and a final-year pharmacy student share their key insights from selected episodes. They highlight the value of SPS tools and resources in supporting safe, evidence-based prescribing, the importance of Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education (CPPE) learning materials, and key lessons from exploring prescribing errors and professional responsibility. The conversation also emphasises the importance of building support networks, starting prescribing gradually, and recognising that gaining confidence takes time. Practical tips are offered to those beginning their prescribing journey, encouraging them to seek support and trust their training as they transition into practice.
Rakhi Aggarwal
Hello and welcome to our Prescribing with Confidence podcast series from NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service [SPS]. My name is Rakhi Aggarwal. This podcast is part of a series to support prescribers on the prescribing journey. Today I’m here with two foundation pharmacists, Ella and Maimoona, and a 4th year student Harriet. Welcome all, it’s wonderful to have you here.
Ella, do you mind kicking off and introducing yourself to our listeners?
Ella Williams
Hi, my name’s Ella, I’m a trainee pharmacist. I work in the GP, and I also work in the community pharmacy. And as part of my training year [unclear] prescribing.
Rakhi Aggarwal
Maimoona?
Maimoona Hussain
Hello, I’m Maimoona and I’m a trainee pharmacist across academia and hospital. So, I work across Wye Valley NHS Trust and Aston University, and as part of my training year, I’m also completing the independent prescribing course.
Rakhi Aggarwal
Fabulous, thank you ladies. And finally, Harriet, you are a final year student about to embark upon the foundation year. Did you want to introduce yourself and tell me where you, where you plan to do your foundation year training and how you’re feeling about it?
Harriet Giles
Yes hi, I’m Harriet and I’m a 4th year pharmacy student at Swansea University, and I’m starting my foundation year in August in the community sector, which I’m looking forward to, but also have nerves that come with embarking on this new journey.
Rakhi Aggarwal
Thanks Harriett, how exciting! So, you guys have had a sneak preview of our Prescribing with Confidence podcast series, which is compiled of six episodes with real life experience guests sharing insights, resources and tips to prepare yourself for prescribing. Maimoona, do you want to share the titles of the two podcasts you listened to and some thoughts about them, if you don’t mind.
Maimoona Hussain
Thank you. Yeah, so, the two podcasts that I listened to were SPS resources and SPS tools. And what I found really useful about SPS resources is that it gives a list of all the resources that are available there for pharmacists, pharmacist prescribers, or even pharmacy students that they can utilise and learn about the different resources that are there to ensure that we make safe decisions for our patients. One of the key important aspects which I have found was the swallowing difficulties. It basically talks about all the resources that pharmacists and pharmacist prescribers can use if they come across patients who have swallowing difficulties, and we see this a lot in secondary care or in primary care. And whenever we are making any decision for a patient, whether it’s changing formulation, using different resources or different medications that are available or alternative medications that are available, it’s important that we use the correct guidelines, evidence based guidelines, and SPS gives a list of all the resources that are available out there and it helps pharmacists to make a confident decision, a safe decision for their patients.
In SPS tools, they mention about monitoring tool that is available on SPS website. And I think it was very useful because whenever we are prescribing any medication, it’s important to ensure that it’s safe for our patients. And SPS gives a list of all the monitoring requirements that we need to ensure before we prescribe the medication, after the medication is prescribed, whether we make any dose changes, once treatment is stable, what are the next steps. Because many of our patient have chronic conditions, therefore we need to ensure that any medication we’re giving our patient is safe for them in longer term as well. Not only that, it also, we know that some medications such as ACE inhibitors are used for more than one indication, such as hypertension, heart failure, and it talks about the monitoring requirements for these two different conditions. And I thought it’s really important and very useful for pharmacist prescriber because it gives them that confidence that the decisions they’re making for their patients are safe, and also because when prescribers take accountability for their decisions, it gives them that reassurance that they’re on the right track and their decisions are safe for the patient.
Rakhi Aggarwal
Thanks, Maimoona. Harriet, did you wanna come in and talk to us about the podcasts you listened to and what your thoughts were?
Harriet Giles
Yes, so I listened to two podcasts. The first podcast I listened to was the CPPE [Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education] podcast, which I thought was very insightful as it gave information on how to navigate, access, and use CPPE resources in everyday practice, which I believe will be very useful in supporting pharmacy professionals from those on their trainee year to those qualified as this offers extra support to help us feel confident especially when starting the trainee year, which may feel quite daunting and nerve wracking.
The second podcast that I listened to was the when things go wrong podcast, which I really enjoyed listening to as it gave me an understanding that the role of pharmacy professionals isn’t just about blame but learning and spreading learning to prevent future patient harm. It also gave me insight into the NHS Resolution which I believe was very useful going forward especially as I’m just about to start my trainee year where we’ll be qualifying as prescribers and knowing how to avoid possible errors and what to do to prevent these from happening overall improving my confidence going forward.
So yeah, I thought they were very interesting podcasts.
Rakhi Aggarwal
Brilliant. Thank you so much, Harriet. And I’ve come to you finally, Ella, you listened to the last two podcasts. Are you happy to share the names of the podcast you listened to and your thoughts around them?
Ella Williams
Yeah, of course. So the first podcast I listened to was from a consultant pharmacist who had had years of experience with prescribing and it was a general [conversation] about how they found prescribing and their general day to day role. The second one I listened to was very similar except it was with a pharmacist who had newly qualified as a prescriber.
So, the main takeaway from the first podcast that I listened to from the experienced prescriber was that even experienced pharmacists like consultant pharmacists ask for help and it’s good to do so. I also learned that you’re never alone and you can always use your support network as well.
From the second podcast, which was from the new prescriber, the main takeaway from this was the valuable tips that they provided. And I believe the tips that they did give would be very beneficial for us as new prescribers. An example of one of the tips was to start small with your prescribing and then expand your competence slowly and that will help build your confidence as well.
I did learn from both podcasts that it’s normal to feel nervous when you first start prescribing, however, it does get better with time and that was very reassuring. Across both, I also learned the importance of both building and using support networks. And overall, I do believe that both podcasts would be very useful for pharmacists as there’s lots of key takeaways everyone can use in their practice.
Rakhi Aggarwal
Thank you. I’m so glad you guys have enjoyed listening to the podcasts. What I’m hearing is that the SPS resources and tools have been really useful, especially around the swallowing difficulties and the monitoring tool, which are able to help navigate what a patient needs depending on their condition from a monitoring perspective. The CPPE resources really help embed some of the learning. And when things go wrong, understanding about blame, and it’s actually, it’s not about blame and that, actually how to avoid possible errors in the future. And then finally moving on to the experience of the newly qualified podcasts, I think the main takeaway I’ve heard from Ella there were actually it’s invaluable the tips that have been shared about it’s ok to feel nervous, it’s important to maintain a good network and actually start small and then expand your prescribing competence.
So, I guess I would like to, if you don’t mind, ask you to finally share one tip that you would give Harriet as she’s about to embark on the journey of a found, of the foundation year. Maimoona, did you wanna come in with just a, one tip to support Harriet and others who are about to embark on this journey?
Maimoona Hussain
Thank you. Yes, of course. So, one of the key tips that I would give to any pharmacy student or students who are starting their journey of a trainee pharmacist is that you spend four years in university studying your MPharm, and I just want you to remember that you’re more than capable. The fact that you’re starting your foundation year is because you are ready to start this journey, and on this journey you will come across situations which you have never seen before and if it is your first time encountering those situations, I want you to believe in yourself because your MPharm has prepared you for this day. It’s now the time that all, to apply all your learning in your foundation year, and just remember your end goal is to become a pharmacist, and all the learnings and every scenario that you come across is to prepare you to become a pharmacist, so just believe in yourself, have faith, and you have a lot of support around you: your supervisors, your friends, your fellow trainee pharmacists, your senior pharmacists or pharmacists who have just completed their training journey. So just remember there’s a lot of support and you are more than capable to complete your foundation year and be a success, successful in this journey.
Rakhi Aggarwal
Thanks, Maimoona. Ella, did you mind coming in with your final tip?
Ella Williams
My main tip is to always speak up when you need help and to ask as many questions as possible as I’ve personally seen the benefit of doing so over my pre-reg year, and I’ve definitely learnt a lot of information by doing so. I also strongly agree with staying very organised and staying on top of your work as that will always help. And those are my main two tips.
Rakhi Aggarwal
Thank you ladies for your amazing support and thoughts on the podcast. Good luck in your foundation year exams and final year exam for you Harriett.
That’s all from us here at SPS for this episode. Thanks for tuning in and we’ll be back with another episode soon. We’re always keen to hear about your suggestions that you have for resources or events that you want to cover. Our contact details are available on our website.
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