General Pharmaceutical Council

Introduction

The ratification of the appointments of the Council members and of myself as Chair has taken place by the Appointments Commission, and I am delighted to say we are no longer designate!

It is also a great pleasure to announce that - at our meeting earlier this month – we agreed a clear way forward for our standards development programme, following careful consideration of the feedback from the initial consultation.

The Council has listened to the views of stakeholders, gathered during an initial consultation hosted by the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE), and has agreed to address many of the key points raised in the consultation responses (See story below for full details).

It is clear to us as a Council that, despite the participative process to develop the draft standards, there are further considerations which need to be taken on board before they can be agreed. Hence we have decided to introduce some interim standards, which will be consulted on shortly, and develop the revised versions in the longer term.

In making this decision, we were encouraged by the significant number of responses and the balance of feedback that we received.

We felt it desirable to make a clear distinction between those areas where new GPhC standards are required on ‘day one’ of GPhC regulation, and areas where there is a clear need and opportunity for further reflection and development work.

We were also guided by a number of key principles. First, the Council is committed to acting as a regulatory body which is independent both of the profession and of government. Second, the Council recognises the need to scrutinise and challenge the arguments and evidence for proposals which involve substantial change to existing regulatory standards. Third, the Council believes that it is in the public interest to make sure that regulatory standards command broadly-based confidence and respect among the professionals who will be asked to uphold them. Finally, all standards should be written in a consistent and accessible style, using plain language.

We recognise this is a significant step for the new Council and for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy owners, and their staff. It feels appropriate that it was taken on the eve of us becoming a legally constituted organisation and gaining final ratification for our appointments, following the completion of the Parliamentary process for the Pharmacy Order 2010. There is more detail on this in the story below.

Finally, thank you again to all stakeholders who have worked with us so far on the establishment of the GPhC, and I look forward to working closely with you over the next few months as we move towards our operational date.

Bob Nicholls
GPhC Chair

GPhC standards – a clear way forward

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has set a clear way forward for its standards development programme.

At its March 2010 meeting, the GPhC Council made a number of key decisions:
• To hold a further consultation on revised draft standards of conduct, ethics and performance, building on excellent existing models, including the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain’s (RPSGB) Code of Ethics.
• To consult on the adoption of the existing RPSGB standards for pharmacist and pharmacy technician education and training for the time being.
• To produce and consult on draft interim standards for pharmacy owners and superintendents.
• To consult on a proposal to adopt current RPSGB standards and guidance for continuing professional development (CPD).

GPhC Chair Bob Nicholls said: “We are a new and independent regulator, whose main objective is public protection. In order to ensure public safety, the standards we set must command the confidence of the professionals who are required to implement and uphold them.

“It is clear to us as a Council that, despite the participative process to develop these drafts, there are further considerations which need to be taken on board. As we move forward, we will want to understand more fully how the expectations of patients and members of the public should inform the decisions we make about professional standards – there is more work to do on that front.”

The interim measures, which will be distributed for consultation in April, will enable the GPhC to keep to schedule and take on its regulatory role in 2010 while maintaining business and regulatory continuity for registrants. The majority of the standards will then be redrafted and consulted on at a later date. The launch date for the consultation on interim standards will be announced in due course.

The draft standards, which were initially distributed for consultation through the CHRE from 21 October 2009 to 12 January 2010, attracted a high degree of interest from stakeholders. Before making its decision, the GPhC Council reviewed a detailed analysis of the feedback from stakeholders. This CHRE report was published on 18 March 2010.

The GPhC Council agreed that:

All standards should be written in a consistent and accessible style, using plain language.

Standards for owners and superintendents
• A revised draft set of standards will be produced for consultation at a date to be determined.
• In the meantime, the GPhC will consult on interim standards, to take effect upon the GPhC acquiring operational responsibility.

Standards of conduct, ethics and performance
• The GPhC will consult on draft standards, based on the RPSGB Code of Ethics, to take effect when the GPhC acquires operational responsibility.
• The draft will include a ‘conscience clause’ for further consultation specifically on that topic.

Proficiency and education standards
• The GPhC will consult on the adoption of the RPSGB’s existing education standards and accreditation procedures for a transitional period, with effect from when the GPhC acquires operational responsibility.
• The standards of proficiency and education and training standards for pharmacists will be revised for further consultation, at a date to be determined.

Standards for Continuing Professional Development
• The GPhC will consult on a proposal to adopt current standards and guidance for CPD for a transitional period, with effect from when GPhC acquires operational responsibility.
• It will produce revised draft CPD standards for consultation at a date to be determined.

Return to practice policy
• Before the Return to Practice Policy is consulted on again, a fundamental review of this policy is required.

Establishment update: legal status and appointments

The shadow GPhC gained its legal constitution as an organisation on 12 March 2010 when the General Pharmaceutical Council (Constitution) Order 2010 came into force. Following this, on 17 March 2010, the Appointments Commission ratified the appointments of the Chair and Council members.

This means, from its April meeting, the Council can begin to ratify decisions taken at meetings of the Council designate. This will be done on a priority basis and the GPhC will keep people informed of key policy decisions as they are taken.

Now that it is legally constituted as an organisation, the GPhC can:
• Set standards and make rules
• Appoint staff
• Benefit from the transitional provisions which will now take effect, to ensure a smooth transition of ongoing regulation
• Take forward some of the key operational activities needed to inherit regulatory functions.

As a result, the GPhC will also shortly begin the recruitment process for two Director posts: Director of Policy and Communications and Director of Regulatory Functions. Along with the Chief Executive/Registrar Duncan Rudkin, and the newly-appointed Director of Operations and Corporate Development Bernard Kelly, these two posts will form the executive team of the GPhC. If you are interested in more information about these posts, or in being notified once the advertisements are published, please email info@pharmacyregulation.org

Public invited to future Council meetings

Members of the public are being invited to attend GPhC Council meetings from April 2010. Now that the GPhC is a legal constituted organisation, the majority of Council meeting business will be held in public session.

Members of the public and all other stakeholders, including the media, will need to register to attend, given space limitations at the GPhC’s 129 Lambeth Road offices.

Details of Council meetings and how to arrange to attend will be made available on the GPhC website at www.pharmacyregulation.org one week before the meeting. Council papers will be made available within the week prior to the meeting. The April meeting will be held on 13-14 April 2010 – exact meeting times will be confirmed closer to the date.

Registration fees consultation

The consultation on the GPhC registration fees for 2011 is likely to begin in April 2010. The GPhC Council is set to consider a paper on the fee levels for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and premises at its April meeting and is likely to start the consultation shortly after.

The consultation is due to run on the GPhC website at www.pharmacyregulation.org for a period of 12 weeks. Further details of the consultation and proposed fee levels will be announced at the time.