In this episode of CPPE Pharmacy Conversations, hosts Jo Lane and Hayley Berry are joined by Reena Sharma, CPPE Education Supervisor in Yorkshire and Humber, and Sarah Evans, Senior Learning Development Pharmacy Technician at CPPE. Together, they discuss how pharmacy professionals can advance their practice through education and self-development, using tools such as the four pillars of practice and credentialing frameworks.

Reena shares her experiences supporting pharmacists involved in the RPS Advanced Credentialing process and explains how the process builds a high-quality portfolio mapped against national standards. Sarah reflects on her own journey as a pharmacy technician, highlighting how curiosity, mentorship, and informal learning opportunities have shaped her career in education. She also introduces a new CPPE poster resource designed to help pharmacy technicians unlock their potential.

Listeners will explore how the four pillars of practice—clinical, leadership, education, and research—are relevant to all pharmacy roles, and how existing CPPE pathways and programmes can support professional development. The episode also provides guidance on engaging with education roles, regardless of job title, and demystifies entry points into research and mentorship.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this episode, listeners will be able to:

1. Describe the structure and purpose of the four pillars of practice and how they support professional development for both pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
2. Reflect on how to identify learning needs, build a professional development plan, and map existing work to national frameworks such as the RPS Advanced Credentialing curriculum.
3. Evaluate the role of mentorship, networking, and informal education opportunities in progressing toward roles in education, leadership, and research within pharmacy.

Resources

CPPE Advancing your role in education pathway

CPPE Frameworks for the RPS core advanced curriculum

CPPE Getting started with research: focus on finding your place

CPPE Learning gateway for research

CPPE and PWDS Four pillars of practice for pharmacy technicians

Royal Pharmaceutical Society, RPS core advanced pharmacist curriculum

The Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK)