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A community pharmacy technician's view
Fiona Price has worked for the same high street pharmacy chain for 26 years. She works in the chain's flagship store in Cardiff, looking after the prescription needs of care homes in the area. She is also a member of the Pharmacy Regulation and Leadership Oversight Group (PRLOG) set up to advise and work with stakeholders in the run-up to the establishment of the GPhC.
Public safety and confidence
Fiona firmly believes that an independent regulator is essential if the public is to have faith in the profession. Patient and public safety must come first, she says: 'Patients want to know that their prescription is going to be dispensed safely and that everyone in the pharmacy meets the required standards and is fit to practise.'
Good practice
The GPhC will set up a framework of new standards across the pharmacy professions, and Fiona points out that this will benefit everyone: 'There is a perception that regulation is only about disciplining bad practitioners. But it should also be about highlighting, sharing and promoting good practice.'
Although Fiona does not believe that there has been a lack of transparency in the existing arrangements, she also thinks that the new GPhC will make the profession more open to the public.
The importance of continuing professional development
As a pharmacy technician, Fiona plays an active role in promoting public wellbeing, for example by advising customers on smoking cessation and weight management. She sees continuing professional development (CPD) as essential. 'There are always going to be new products, legislation and procedures. CPD keeps you in touch with those developments, and reassures the public that your knowledge is up to date.'
Protecting the title 'pharmacy technician'
Although Fiona registered voluntarily in 2005, she welcomes mandatory registration. 'This is something we've wanted for a long time, and I'm delighted that the title "pharmacy technician" will be restricted,' she says. 'It will demonstrate to the public and to other healthcare professionals that those technicians on the register are fit to practise and are working to the standards laid down by the GPhC.'