Cardiovascular

The UKCPA Cardiovascular Pharmacy Community is one of our specialist communities, providing you with access to dedicated resources and expert training.

Gastroenterology & Hepatology

Our Gastroenterology & Hepatology Pharmacy Community is home to anyone wishing to access information and experts in this area of pharmacy practice.

Join UKCPA for less than £3 a week for:
  • Access to a resource library developed by gastro pharmacists
  • Access to virtual and face-to-face events
  • Focused forum discussions
  • Active gastro pharmacy and hepatology pharmacy forums

Cardiovascular

The UKCPA Cardiovascular Pharmacy Community is one of our specialist communities, providing you with access to dedicated resources and expert training.

  • Access to an extensive cardiovascular pharmacy resource library
  • Expert training and education delivered by leading cardiovascular pharmacists
  • Focused forum discussions
  • Dedicated cardiac pharmacy networking and training events

Overview

The UKCPA Gastroenterology & Hepatology Community is highly active in contributing expertise to the pharmacy community and the wider national healthcare services through education and training.

This community of hepatology and gastroenterology pharmacy specialists also provide contributions to national consultations and standards, and engagement with gastroenterology and liver charities and associations.

The Committee is made up of professionals with experience in hepatology and gastro pharmacy, and are dedicated to advocating for and providing pharmacy expertise to multidisciplinary organisations. This includes the British Society of Gastroenterology and the British Association for the Study of the Liver

Many committee members are involved in the standards and guidelines produced by these organisations.

Members of the committee have been heavily involved in the UK inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) Audit, managed and published by the Royal College of Physicians. This programme of work aims to improve the delivery of care for people with IBD through effective measurements against standards and feedback to providers.

Why join our community?

Becoming part of our Gastroenterology & Hepatology Pharmacy Community gives you access to experts and resources in this area of practice.
Forums on hepatology & gastroenterology in pharmacy
Access forums and contribute to conversations on relevant and recent topics around gastroenterology pharmacy and hepatology.
Training led by experts
When you become a UKCPA member, you’ll be able to access education and training run by gastro pharmacy experts.
Gastroenterology and hepatology resources
You’ll have unlimited access to a growing library of resources, from best practice guides to information contributed by other community members.
Face-to-face and virtual events
Get exclusive access to local and national events, as well as a programme of webinars and virtual events.

Key milestones

Expertise

Members of the Committee work closely with the British Society of Gastroenterology and the British Association for the Study of the Liver (BASL). The Committee also has strong links with the Crohn’s & Colitis UK charity.

Research

Members of the Committee have been heavily involved in the UK IBD audit which measures the efficacy, safety and appropriate use of biological therapies in patients with IBD in the UK, as well as capturing patients’ views on their quality of life at intervals during their treatment.

Pharmacy career guide

Find out what it takes to become a specialist in gastroenterology and hepatology pharmacy practice.

A gastroenterology pharmacist is a fully qualified pharmacist with a specialism in gastro pharmacy. They play a crucial role within gastroenterology teams at hospital trusts, providing specialist pharmacist advice on gastroenterology treatments, optimising and developing medicine management pathways, and delivering patient care.

Hepatology pharmacists specialise in disorders and conditions affecting the liver. A specialist in hepatology pharmacy will consult with hospital trust pharmacy departments and medical teams on the most suitable prescriptions for affected patients, and help to develop optimised treatment pathways.

To become a specialist gastroenterology pharmacist, you must first undertake training to become a qualified pharmacist. This entails the following:

Once qualified, you can begin to specialise in a particular branch of pharmacy, such as gastroenterology or hepatology. You’ll find plenty of support from members as you take the next steps in your career when you join our community.

A specialist gastroenterology pharmacist is an integral part of any gastroenterology team. Their roles and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Providing specialised gastro pharmacy advice to the wider healthcare team
  • Manage the pharmaceutical offering for gastroenterology services, including stock list management, drug procurement, and developing procedures
  • Ensuring the consistent and safe delivery of gastroenterology pharmacy services
  • Lead and assist with research and auditing of the gastroenterology pharmacy service
  • Act as a source of knowledge on the safe and effective use of gastroenterology medicines for patients
  • Develop and maintain medicine protocols and guidelines
  • Work in collaboration with the clinical pharmacy team
  • Assist with discharge planning of patients from hospital and clinical care settings, including wards

You’ll start your career as a student pharmacist, before progressing to trainee pharmacist, and then qualifying as a registered pharmacist. Once you reach this stage, you can gain further experience in order to specialise as a cardiovascular pharmacist. 

Within cardiovascular pharmacy, you can explore multiple career paths, including working towards becoming a clinical lead or consultant in the field. Joining the UKCPA cardiovascular pharmacy community allows you to network with a wide variety of professionals in the field, showing you the breadth of opportunities available as you advance in your career. Continuing education and development is at the heart of our cardiovascular pharmacist community, so sign up today to find specialist support at every stage of your career.

As my career has developed, UKCPA has provided numerous benefits which have aided my professional development. I have met role models and experts who have inspired my own career path. UKCPA has revealed a larger world of pharmacy which has encouraged me to strive for excellence.

David Gibson - Associate dean foundation pharmacist at NHS England

Committee members

Chair
Mohammed Allah-Ditta
Advanced Gastroenterology Pharmacist in IBD medicines management
Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
Education Lead
Jon Kwok
Lead pharmacist in gastroenterology and rheumatology
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
Standards & Consultations Lead
Ruth Rudling
Advanced Clinical Pharmacist in gastroenterology and hepatology
Mid Yorkshire NHS Teaching Trust
Research Lead
Esha Sharma
Senior pharmacist in gastroenterology
Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
Research Lead
Fiona Rees
Specialist Pharmacist in gastroenterology
Brighton and Sussex University Hospital NHS Trust
Link to BSG / IBD UK
Sarah Cripps
Consultant pharmacist in gastroenterology and hepatology
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Resources

Get involved

We are always looking for people for the following roles:

Educators

Speakers and tutors for learning events, including conference workshops, masterclasses and webinars.

Commentators

We are looking for practitioner members who can comment on national consultations.

Writers

Members who have a flair for writing to produce articles for the UKCPA website.

Become a member

Join UKCPA for less than £3 a week and access all our communities, education and resources.

Connect with us
Subscribe
Updates & articles direct to your inbox
UK Clinical Pharmacy Association

Contact us

Use the form below to ask any questions you have about UKCPA membership.

Stay informed.

Subscribe for pharmacy news and articles.
I live