All trainees who have completed year-long dual placements in community pharmacy and academia have gone on to pass the registration exam since the “unique” scheme launched 10 years ago, the University of Sunderland has said. 

In a statement last week, the university hailed the 10-year anniversary of the foundation year scheme offering trainees placements divided between community pharmacy MD & AG Burdon and the university’s own pharmacy school. 

The scheme “has seen a 100 per cent success rate, with a decade of qualified pharmacists passing their national registration assessment first time,” said the university.

The strong performance of this cohort is in contrast with trainees who complete their foundation training in the community pharmacy sector alone, who historically have a lower pass rate than those who train in other sectors. 

The majority of trainees who sat the June 2024 registration assessment had completed their training in community pharmacy (1,182 candidates), achieving a pass rate of 68 per cent. 

Those who completed dual community/general practice placements (203 candidates) had a higher pass rate at 73 per cent, while 93 per cent of the 189 candidates on hospital/GP placements passed the exam, making it the best performing cohort. 

Eighty-nine per cent of 63 foundation year trainees from the University of Sunderland passed the registration exam in June this year, making it one of the top-performing courses in the country. 

Abanoub Soliman, a pharmacist who recently completed the dual placement scheme, said: “Working both in academia and in a community pharmacy during my training has provided me with a unique experience and a comprehensive perspective on pharmacy. 

“What’s unique about this training position is that it allowed me to acquire a diverse set of skills to balance the demands and expectations whilst developing to meet the required learning outcomes.”

Kathryn Davison, associate head of the school of pharmacy, said: “When we designed the academic foundation training scheme 10 years ago, I knew it would offer graduates an unrivalled opportunity to gain insight into working in the field of academia one they qualified as a pharmacist. 

“To have had a full decade of success with regards to our trainees passing their assessments at the first attempt, gaining amazing employment opportunities on registration, and in some cases even gaining academic roles at the university in the school of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences is something I am incredibly proud of.

"We have taught pharmacy here at Sunderland for over a century and for this to play a part in the history of success of the school as a whole is fantastic.”