The Work of the General Pharmaceutical Council

The work of the General Pharmaceutical Council [GPhC]

October 2011

The General Pharmaceutical Council• Established in law: Pharmacy Order 2010• Independent of government• Reports to Secretary of State for Health• Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence

• Register professionals• Fitness to practise• Set and check standards• Inspectorate

Set standards

Set standards• Council: lay and registrants (lay majority)

• Education and training• CPD • Proficiency etc...

Education & training

Pharmacists

Pharmacy Technicians

Pharmacy support staff

Levels

Accreditation• Cyclical• New schools – 7 visits• Existing schools – every 6 years with practice visit• Independent accreditation panel

– academics– Practitioners– lay member

• Public reports

How standards fit in

Things we don’t do• Comment of schools of pharmacy• Adjudicate on student issues• Run courses (except the Exam)

The Register

The Register• Restricted titles: pharmacist, pharmacy, pharmacy

technician

• Pharmacists [45,000]• Pharmacy Technicians [20,000]• Premises [13,500]• Temporary service providers [0]

• Technician registration from July 2011

The Register• 80% - community pharmacy• 20 % - hospital pharmacy• Small numbers – industry & academia

• In community – two very large multiples• Hospital – National Health Service [NHS]

Registration• Annual Process• Fee• Identity• Health• Character

CPD

Continuing professional development• 9 entries per year• External reviewers• Feedback• 800 records called per

month• Issues:

– Poor health– Home problems– 1% non submission

• [Revalidation]

Fitness to practise

The process

Outcomes• Dismissed• Warning• Advice• Removal• Suspension• Conditions

• Interim orders

2008• Dispensing errors – 31.9%• Standards of practice – 47.5%• Poor behaviour – 10.5%• Controlled drug errors – 7%• Dishonesty - 0.5%• Conviction/caution – 2.4%• Alcohol abuse – 0.3%

The Inspectorate

Inspectors• 29 [27 are pharmacists]• Regional• Routine and special inspections• Right of entry• Improvement notice• Offence not to comply• Fitness to practise

Inspectors can...• (a) inspect the premises and any plant, machinery or equipment at the premises• (b) search the premises• (c) inspect and remove from the premises any substance, article or product (whether or not• appearing to the inspector to be a medicinal product)• (d) take and remove from the premises samples of any substance, article or product• (e) carry out any examinations and tests and make any enquiries (including such enquiries of

any person as the inspector considers it appropriate to make relating to the fitness to practise of a registrant who is or has been employed on the premises to provide pharmaceutical services)

• (f) require any person holding or accountable for any documents or records (whether or not• kept at the premises being inspected) to produce them for inspection at the premises

Standards advisory team [pharmacists]

Top 5 enquiries• How do I open and register a retail pharmacy business, who can own a

pharmacy? • Is the controlled drug prescription I have in front of me legally valid?• I have a prescription issued by an EEA doctor, is it legally valid, and what

checks do I need to make?• What can I wholesale supply to a paramedic from a registered pharmacy,

what paperwork do I need and what do I need to record? • Can I sell a human licensed medicine over the counter for use in an

animal?

We don’t advise on• Employment law and contractual matters• The use of medicines• The sale and supply of medicines from premises which are

not registered pharmacies• Proofreading