First cohort of CPhO’s global pharmacy fellows graduate

Sixteen pharmacists volunteering as part of the Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS) programme have completed a yearlong fellowship and today successfully graduate as the first cohort of the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer (CPhO) for England’s Global Health Fellows.

Following the announcement of the CwPAMS partnerships in early February 2019, the appointed pharmacy global health fellows have undertaken a yearlong fellowship as part of the CwPAMS programmes in Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania or Zambia. In addition, they completed a short Global Pharmacy Course supported by Brighton & Sussex Medical School as well as an adapted Health Education England (HEE) International Fellowship (IGH) Induction Programme, worked with a UK-based mentor throughout the Fellowship and have undertaken a leadership development experience using the NHS Healthcare Leadership model.

The development of the fellowship followed a request from Dr Keith Ridge, England’s Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, recognising the positive impact the scheme will have for NHS staff. It was sponsored by HEE with technical leadership and fellowship programme management by the Commonwealth Pharmacist’s Association.

Victoria Rutter – Executive Director, CPA and Diane Ashiru-Oredope, Global AMR Lead, CPA and CPhO GH Fellowship Programme Lead commented:

“The current pandemic is a reminder of how health security issues such as COVID19 and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) truly transcend international boundaries and require a global response. Our Global Health Pharmacy Fellows have shown great leadership in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) during the CwPAMS programme, and have also delivered on these projects despite being key workers during the pandemic.

“They have not only led the responses to the pandemic in their own health institutions in the UK but extended this support to their CwPAMS partnerships. We are incredibly proud of the fellows’ achievements and how they have represented the profession as leaders and role models on a global stage, especially in such challenging times. We hope their success will pave the way for a longstanding global health pharmacy fellowship scheme.”