Cancer pharmacists and consultant credentialing in Great Britain: an analysis of influencing factors and the impact of a dedicated support initiative.

Abstract

Portfolio-based credentialing is increasingly used internationally to recognize specialist pharmacy practice and support workforce development. In Great Britain (GB), the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), now the Royal College of Pharmacy (RCPharm), is the professional leadership body for pharmacists and leads a formalized credentialing framework across pharmacy practice. However, progression through portfolio-based assessment can be challenging, particularly in specialized fields such as cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To explore factors influencing cancer pharmacists' ability to successfully submit and pass consultant-level credentialing portfolios, with particular emphasis on mentorship, support resources, and perceived impact of the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) Cancer Consultant Pharmacist Credentialing Webinar Series (BCCPCWS).

METHODS: This cross-sectional survey, reported in accordance with the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines, was conducted among cancer pharmacists intending to start, resubmit, or progress a consultant pharmacist portfolio. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Comparative analyses explored differences between pharmacists who attended the BCCPCWS and who did not, with free-text responses analysed thematically.

KEY FINDINGS: Despite strong intention to pursue RPS/RCPharm consultant credentialing, most respondents had not submitted a portfolio. Key barriers included time constraints, limited organizational support, and lack of mentorship. Awareness and utilization of existing support resources was low. Pharmacists who attended BCCPCWS were more likely to report portfolio progression than non-attendees. There was demand for structured mentorship, peer support, and clearer guidance.

CONCLUSIONS: Structured, accessible, specialty -led support may mitigate barriers to portfolio-based consultant credentialing within specialist pharmacy practice. These findings offer transferable insights to inform scalable credentialing support models across GB and international settings.