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Why pharmacy regulation is changing

Why do we need a new regulator?

Government action to harmonise regulation

The Government is harmonising the regulation of health professionals according to a set of key principles set out in the 2007 White Paper Trust, Assurance and Safety: The Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century.

These are:

• that the overriding interest must be the safety and quality of care that patients receive from healthcare professionals
• that regulators must be independent, and be seen to be independent and impartial
• that regulation is as much about sustaining, assuring and improving standards as it is about identifying and addressing poor practice and behaviour
• that regulation should be proportionate to risks and benefits.

These principles aim to deal with the public perception that regulatory bodies are overly sympathetic to the professionals they regulate, by creating a clear separation of professional regulation from professional leadership and establishing independent regulatory bodies.

Pharmacy is no different (in regulatory terms) from any other healthcare profession, and therefore the principles set out in Trust, Assurance and Safety: The Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century apply.

Sustaining practice and supporting innovation

Pharmacy practice will change in the next decade, with pharmacists and pharmacy technicians delivering new services across all sectors and settings. With this increasing innovation, it is important that there is a clear patient and public focus in order to maintain public confidence and safety.

The functions and powers of the GPhC have been designed to sustain these new developments and support innovation, taking into account best regulatory practice and the advice of the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence. Those parts of existing regulation that work well are remaining unchanged.

What are the benefits to the public?

The changes to pharmacy regulation will:

• send a clear message that public protection and patient safety are paramount
• ensure that registered professionals, owners and premises are fit to safely deliver a wider range of services
• ensure greater transparency about pharmacy regulation through the greater involvement of lay people on the regulator's council
• ensure that the regulator has the flexibility to respond to public expectations and advances in practice.

What are the benefits to pharmacy professionals?

The overarching aim of the new GPhC will be to protect and promote the health, safety and wellbeing of patients and the public. At the same time it will bring benefits to pharmacy professionals:

• Confidence. Registration with the GPhC will enable pharmacy professionals to practise within clear guidelines for patient safety. As a result, professionals can be confident that they are meeting required standards and that the public and other health professionals remain confident in the pharmacy profession.
• Status. The restricted titles will act both as a guarantee for service users, and a badge of quality — from belonging to a registered profession — for pharmacy professionals.
• Innovation and improvement. New standards will provide a clear framework for innovation and improvement, and provide transparency for professionals as well as the public. The GPhC will work with pharmacy professionals to improve the quality of care and services for everyone.
• Fair regulation. Regulation will be focused on learning and continuous improvement, not on punishing failure. Risk assessment will be used to target resources where they are most needed, at those who need help to raise standards. The cost of regulation will be reasonable, so that it does not become a burden.
• Career progression and development. Compulsory CPD will create opportunities for career progression, and ensure that all pharmacy professionals continue to develop their knowledge and skills throughout their careers. It will also give valuable quality assurance for owners and employers.
• An opportunity for genuine collaboration. The GPhC will have a statutory duty to consult pharmacy professionals as stakeholders and will set up a variety of mechanisms to involve professionals as partners in the regulation of their own profession.