Pharmacists in Wales are being expected to complete training in climate change and ‘carbon literacy’.

It is all part of the Welsh Government’s Net Zero requirements,

A body that representing the pharmacists says that they already have too little time to complete their existing training requirements.

The Mail Online reports: Training on the extra, woke topics have been introduced in Wales, as part of a ‘quality and safety scheme’ in line with the Welsh government’s Net Zero Wales ambitions.

And chemists are expected to ensure the training is carried out by the end of next month to meet a target set by the Cardiff administration.

Community Pharmacy Wales has issued guidance to pharmacists, urging them to ‘provide an overview of climate change and sustainability in Wales/the UK and the world’.

They must also ‘evaluate the impact of climate change on health’ and ‘explore good practice in sustainability as a global citizen’.

Community Pharmacies Wales added: ‘Pharmacy contractors can arrange for staff to access any training resource that at a minimum meets the learning objectives’.

Pharmacies can claim £642 from the cash-strapped Welsh NHS to cover the cost of the course.

Among the course modules listed is Carbon Literacy for Healthcare, which aims to foster a ‘deep understanding of the critical link between climate change and healthcare’.

The course description states: ‘Discover how climate change is putting the health of our patients at risk and explore the remarkable strides the NHS has made in leading the charge against greenhouse gas emissions.

‘Learn how you can contribute and play your part in shaping a low carbon NHS that delivers exceptional care while safeguarding the health of future generations.’

The Welsh government’s push for green policy comes as a lobby group representing pharmacists across the UK called for staff to be given more time for training to be ‘safe practitioners’.

Last week, the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists (GHP) launched a campaign calling for NHS pharmacists to be given 10% of their contracted hours as ‘protected time for learning, development and training’.

The guild said there is currently ‘no consistency’ in the UK or within the four nations in terms of how much time for supporting professional activities pharmacists are given.

But the organisation added there is a ‘consistent amount of development that is required to allow pharmacists to be able to be safe practitioners, to meet the demands of service development, and to be able to safely mentor and supervise more junior colleagues’.

It added that many pharmacists end up doing unpaid work in order to catch up with the required training or end up completing self-learning in their own time.