GPhC outlines key changes to the 2016 registration assessment as agreed by board of assessors

The GPhC is taking forward the changes agreed by the independent board of assessors to the 2016 registration assessment for pharmacists in order to fully reflect the significant changes that have taken place in the profession since it was first introduced in 1993. 

The independent board of assessors is responsible for overseeing the assessment and ensuring it is fit for purpose. Although the board has made changes to the assessment over time, it has agreed that more significant changes need to be made to make sure the assessment takes advantage of current education best practice to enable trainees to better demonstrate the competencies set out in the learning outcomes.

In 2011 the GPhC introduced revised education standards and learning outcomes for pharmacy students. The changes to the registration assessment will coincide with the first cohort of trainees who have been educated and trained according to those revised standards and learning outcomes. The changes will therefore not affect any trainees sitting the June or September 2015 assessment. 

The changes follow on from a programme of work undertaken by the board. This included establishing the evidence base and best practice. As a result, the board agreed a number of changes which are listed below and which the GPhC will be taking forward from 2016 onwards. 

  • Replacing all open book source references, including  the BNF, with artifacts from clinical practice, such as patient information leaflets, which candidates will need to use to answer questions
  • Allowing calculators to be used in one of the papers
  • Removing multiple completion and assertion reason questions, and introducing a new type of multiple choice question, so that there are two types of questions - single best answer and extended matching
  • Reformatting the assessment syllabus so that it is mapped to the current  Future Pharmacists learning outcomes, and to make sure that the assessment covers the areas of the learning outcomes

Commenting on the announcement, Duncan Rudkin, Chief Executive of the GPhC said: 

“The scope of pharmacy practice and its role in health care have changed very significantly since the assessment was first introduced in 1993. The changes agreed by the board of assessors which will come into force in 2016, will enable trainees to demonstrate their ability as more clinically competent pharmacists.

 “We want to give trainees sitting the registration assessment in 2016, as well as training providers and schools of pharmacy, plenty of notice with regards to the planned changes. We look forward to briefing and engaging stakeholders on the detail of these changes through a series of events early next year.”
 
The GPhC has invited key stakeholders to attend one of two briefing meetings where we will explain more about the changes and what they will mean in practice:

  • 24 February in Manchester  
  • 3 March in London