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The addition of depression to the New Medicine Service isn’t just another service – it’s a real-world opportunity to build the kind of clinical confidence that makes every consultation easier and every decision sounder, says Trevor Gore…

Running an independent pharmacy is no small feat. The endless scripts, staffing, supply issues, and patient queries leave little room for breathing, let alone brushing up on the latest clinical updates.

Yet, the profession is shifting fast. With Pharmacy First, contraceptive prescribing, and the expansion of the New Medicine Service (NMS) to include antidepressants, pharmacists are becoming true front-line clinicians.

That new NMS indication isn’t just another service; it’s your perfect learning template. It’s a real-world opportunity to build the kind of clinical confidence that makes every consultation easier and every decision sounder.

Why depression is the perfect test case

Supporting someone newly prescribed an antidepressant isn’t just about explaining side effects. It touches every corner of your clinical skill set.

Understanding the pharmacology behind SSRIs and SNRIs, applying your anatomy and physiology knowledge to explain how they work, recognising red flags for referral and using communication and empathy to discuss mood, adherence, and expectations.

In other words, it’s the perfect “mini masterclass” in holistic patient care. Once you’ve sharpened your confidence here, you can apply the same framework to any new, and/or existing, service — from hypertension to contraception or common ailments.

Why we don’t learn (even when we want to)

Here’s the truth, this is not a motivation problem, it’s a brain problem. Behavioural economics tells us humans are wired to prioritise the now over the later.

Between the queue at the counter and the phone ringing, study time never feels urgent enough. Common traps include Present Bias where we chase immediate wins, not future benefits.

Choice overload where we freeze when presented with so many CPD options, and Loss aversion where we overestimate what we’ll “lose” (time, focus) and underestimate what we’ll gain (confidence, better consultations). But the beauty of behavioural science is that once you understand these biases, you can hack them.

The ‘Mini NMS’ method or ‘Learning by Doing’: Teaches us to use each NMS for depression consultation as a ready-made micro-learning opportunity.

Reflect in real time: After each consultation, jot down one thing you weren’t 100 per cent sure about, maybe SSRI onset times or advice for managing side effects, and follow your curiosity.

Look it up immediately on a trusted source, CPPE, NHS e-Learning, or Pharmacy Magazine’s CPD hub. Record what you learned and how you’ll apply it in your CPD log.

You don’t need study days; you need micro-moments: This ‘nudge’ approach makes learning automatic. You’re turning real-world experience into confidence, one patient at a time.       

Making time without losing your mind

You don’t need hours. You need habits. The spacing effect demonstrates that learning is more effective when repeated in spaced repetitions. By repeating and spacing out the information you can better recall that information in the future.

There are a number of nudges than can help this. The 10-minute rule encourages you to start or end each shift with a quick clinical read.

Stacking your habits is where you pair learning with something you already do, such as coffee breaks, system updates, or the quiet five minutes (if it exists) after closing.

Use dead time constructively by listening to podcasts or webinars on the journey into work. Remember you’re not alone, team it up by creating a “NMS learning board” in your dispensary where everyone shares one insight per week.

Where to learn – fast and effectively

When time’s short, go straight to the good stuff. CPPE is still one of the best, most credible sources for pharmacy learning. The ‘Mental Health and Wellbeing, Supporting People with Depression, and Consultation Skills’ programmes fit perfectly with the new NMS.

NHS e-Learning for Healthcare is brilliant for short, interactive modules on depression, clinical assessment skills, and safeguarding. Let’s not forget CIG resources.

Pharmacy Magazine, Training Matters, and Independent Community Pharmacist offer pharmacy-specific, real-world CPD. The Pharmacy Magazine CPD hub features monthly modules and reflective exercises on topics like mental health and adherence, whilst Training Matters provides quick five-minute reads for fast refreshers.

Independent Community Pharmacist adds business context and case-based learning, perfect for independents juggling both clinical and commercial growth. For in-the-moment queries, NICE Pathways give you quick, evidence-based algorithms. Perfect when you need a confidence check mid-consultation.

CPD: Confidence in action

Think of CPD not as admin but as your confidence diary. Each reflection, each small note, is evidence of your professional growth. If you treat the NMS for depression as your learning model, short bursts, real-world reflection, and practical application, you’ll soon find your confidence naturally expands. Today it’s antidepressants.

Tomorrow it’s dermatology, diagnostics, or contraception. The pattern stays the same: small steps, consistently taken, create big competence.

The payoff: From surviving to thriving

Making time for learning isn’t indulgent, it’s essential self-care for professionals. Confident pharmacists enjoy their jobs more, they communicate better, they make faster, sounder decisions, and they deliver safer, more human care.

Start with five minutes. Reflect once a day. Learn one thing per patient, and before you know it, you won’t just be running your pharmacy, you’ll be leading it clinically.

Trevor Gore is the founder of Maestro Consulting, a Self-Care Forum trustee and associate director at the Institute for Collaborative Working.