Revalidation - frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Answers to all the main questions we’ve been asked about revalidation

Last reviewed 3 October 2022.

What revalidation records do I need to submit?

Why do I need to complete revalidation?

When do I need to start doing revalidation?

I’m going to be on maternity leave when my revalidation and renewal is due. What should I do?

How many records do I need to complete and when do I submit them?

What if I can’t meet the full revalidation requirements?

What is peer discussion and how can I carry it out?

Which standards do I have to reflect on for my reflective account?

How should I write descriptions of location or place of work in my reflective account?

I am having difficulty writing my entries. Can you help?

Do I need to complete my revalidation record if I am under investigation, or suspended from the register?

What happens if my record is selected for review?

How are you choosing records to review?

What happens if my revalidation submission does not meet the core criteria?

After I have completed my annual renewal and submitted my revalidation record, when do I hear whether it has been selected for review?

I’m having problems using the myGPhC system. Can you help? 

I’m based outside the UK. How can I take part in the peer discussions?

I may not be practising at some points during the year – do I still have to do revalidation?

When should I start making new entries ready for submission for the next annual renewal year?

I’ve made a request for a submission deadline extension, or for a reduction in the number of entries I need to submit.  What evidence do I need to provide to support my request?

I have renewed my annual registration but have just received a notice of intention to remove my entry from the register. Why? 


What revalidation records do I need to submit? 

You will need to submit:

  • Four CPD records (two of which must be planned events)
  • One peer discussion
  • One reflective account 

Full revalidation requirements 

Why do I need to complete revalidation?

Revalidation is a process which helps to show that the trust members of the public have in pharmacy professionals is well placed.

It helps pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to:

  • keep their professional skills and knowledge up to date
  • reflect on how to improve
  • show how they provide the safe and effective care patients and the public expect, as set out in the standards for pharmacy professionals

The requirement to complete revalidation is set out in the rules made under the Pharmacy Order 2010.


When do I need to start doing revalidation?

If you are registered as a pharmacist or pharmacy technician, you should be thinking about carrying out and recording revalidation activities as part of your everyday job. You can complete revalidation activities at any time during your registration year. You can record them in myGPhC or elsewhere, and then transfer them to myGPhC to submit them. You can record them as you do them, or all at once. But you must be ready to submit your records when you want to renew your registration. 


How many records do I need to complete and when do I submit them?

Pharmacy professionals who are due to renew their registration on or after 1 October 2022 (and whose registration expiry date is on or before 30 November 2022) will need to submit all six revalidation records.


I’m going to be on maternity leave when my revalidation and renewal is due. What should I do?

Firstly, you should contact us through myGPhC and request an extension to the deadline, or to submit fewer records by the existing deadline. It is important you tell us as soon as possible – don’t wait until your renewal is due. Once we have received your request, we will usually be able to make a decision about your circumstances within 28 days. 

We will not accept a request without supporting evidence. All evidence needs to be from a healthcare professional, or a formal document, which relates to the reason you are requesting an extension or reduction to your entries. If you are pregnant, we need to know when you are not practising. You will need to explain in your request the dates of your maternity leave and upload a copy of your completed MAT B1 form or your baby’s birth certificate to provide evidence of the timings you state in your request. We don’t accept NHS cards as these only have an expiry date and are valid for up to two years.

If you need to make a request, we only consider reducing the requirement in proportion to the time which you are unable to practise. This means that you should make sure that you have attempted to complete entries covering the rest of your registration year. As a reminder, you can complete revalidation activities at any time during your registration year. 
Find out more on what to do if you can’t submit your revalidation records.

See the recent Regulate article for a step by step guide on how to submit a request to change your submission requirements.


What if I can’t meet the full revalidation requirements?

We expect that if you are practising as a pharmacy professional, you should carry out and record revalidation activity. But there are sometimes reasons why you may not be able to submit some or all of your revalidation records when you renew your registration.

Serious illness, maternity leave, or breaks in practice for other reasons might mean that you have periods of three months or more during your registration year when you haven’t been practising or recording your revalidation activity.
If you think you may not be able to submit some or all of your revalidation records because of a break in practice, it’s important you tell us as soon as possible – don’t wait until your renewal is due. You’ll need to provide evidence about the reasons, and consider if a deadline extension or a record reduction will help.

You should tell us through myGPhC. See the recent Regulate article for a step by step guide on how to submit a request to change your submission requirements.

If you request a submission deadline extension, make sure that you will be able to submit a full revalidation record by the date you propose. 

If you request a reduction in the number of entries that you are required to submit, please be aware that if you have worked for any period of time in the previous year we expect you to submit a minimum of one planned CPD entry and one completed reflective account as your revalidation record. 

Long periods of holiday leave away from work, or intermittent part time locum work do not count as exceptional circumstances. We expect you to complete and submit a fill revalidation record to cover this time.


What is peer discussion and how can I carry it out?

Peer discussion is an open and honest conversation with someone who you trust and respect, which encourages you to reflect on your learning and practice. Research shows that having another person’s view can help pharmacy professionals to reflect on their practice and can reduce the potential for professional isolation. 

There is more information on what’s involved in carrying out a peer discussion in the revalidation framework. You can see examples of records of peer discussions on the revalidation resources page.

Why not start thinking about finding a peer now so you can try out having and recording a discussion?  


Which standards do I have to reflect on for my reflective account?

You should reflect on one or more of the following three standards:

  • Standard 1: Pharmacy professionals must provide person-centred care
  • Standard 2: Pharmacy professionals must work in partnership with others
  • Standard 5: Pharmacy professionals must use their professional judgement

You only need to reflect on the standards for your reflective account; you do not need to reflect on these standards for your four CPD records or for your peer discussion.

These standards will remain in place until 31 December 2024 so you should continue to use these standards for your reflective account until further notice. 


How should I write descriptions of location or place of work in my reflective account? 

As part your reflective account, will need to include a brief description of your area of work (the setting of your practice and your main roles), who the typical users of your service(s) are, and give real example(s) from your practice to show how you meet the standards for pharmacy professionals. 

When you need to describe where you work, you should do this without identifying it by name.  For example, instead of referring to NHS England, describe it as a ‘commissioning body’. Instead of using the trading or company name of the pharmacy, describe the type of pharmacy, such as ‘a branch of a large multiple pharmacy’, or ‘an independent city-centre pharmacy’.


I am having difficulty writing my entries. Can you help?

Take a look at the Revalidation resources for pharmacy professionals page. There’s plenty of examples of completed revalidation records, ideas on topics to focus on, and the standards to focus on in your reflective account. There’s also a list of other organisations that provide resources and support.


Do I need to complete my revalidation record if I am under investigation, or suspended from the register?

We recommend that you continue to carry out and record revalidation if you plan to continue as a pharmacy professional, even if you are not currently able to practise. Revalidation activity is a proactive way to keep your skills up to date and it could be considered as part of any process to decide on your future ability to practise.


What happens if my record is selected for review?

If your submission is selected for review, we will notify you through myGPhC. The review will be carried out jointly by a pharmacy professional and a lay reviewer who will receive anonymised copies of your records. 
The two reviewers will work together using the review criteria set out in the revalidation framework to make a joint review of all the records in your submission and produce a feedback report. The professional and lay reviewers will both be trained to carry out reviews and offer developmental feedback.

You will receive feedback on your submission through your myGPhC account – you will receive a notification when it arrives. It may take up to six weeks from the date you were notified that your submission is being reviewed to receive your feedback. 

If your records are selected for review, and you meet the review criteria, we will not review your submitted records again for the next two years.


How are you choosing records to review?

The process for selecting submissions for review is partly random and partly targeted.

Once we start reviewing records again, each month we will select a sample of registrants to have their records reviewed, from all records submitted on time, and also review more submissions from groups of registrants who have:

  • submitted records late without a good reason
  • previously been asked to carry out remedial measures following a submission review
  • have a history of poor compliance with our standards

What happens if my revalidation submission does not meet the core criteria?

If your revalidation does not meet the core criteria, you will be given another opportunity to submit your entries, using the feedback given to improve them. Your new submission will be reviewed, and you will receive a second set of feedback.
If you submitted your revalidation on time, you will be moved into remediation. You will have six weeks to resubmit your records.

If you submitted your revalidation during the remediation period, you will have 28 days to resubmit your records. 

Your new submission will be reviewed, and you will receive a second set of feedback within 28 days.

Your submission will be selected for review the next renewal year. 


After I have completed my annual renewal and submitted my revalidation record, when do I hear whether it has been selected for review?

Once we begin reviewing revalidation records again, we will make a selection of submissions to review each month. Your submission could be selected for review during the month you submit it, or during any following months, until you make a new submission.


I’m having problems using the myGPhC system. Can you help? 

Please take a look at the step by step guide available for sign up and the step by step guide for renewal. You may also find it helpful to talk to colleagues who have also completed their revalidation, and renewal.


I’m based outside the UK. How can I take part in the peer discussions?

Your peer discussion should be an open and honest conversation with someone you trust and respect. Your peer can be anyone who understands your practice.

Neither you nor your peer have to be based in the UK, and the discussion you have can take place in person, or over the phone, via video call or webchat.

You will need to check that your peer agrees to be named in your record and to be contacted to confirm that the discussion took place, if your records are selected for review.


I may not be practising at some points during the year – do I still have to do revalidation?

You may have a good reason for not being able to submit your records - taking sick or maternity leave, going on a military posting or taking a break from practice, for example. You should tell us as soon as possible if you think you are not going to be able to meet the revalidation requirement, through myGPhC.

Based on the explanation and evidence you give us, we may ask you to submit fewer records, or give you more time to complete them.


When should I start making new entries ready for submission for the next annual renewal year?

You can start making entries for your next annual revalidation submission as soon as you have successfully renewed your registration and submitted your revalidation for review for the current year. This means that you will most likely have a complete revalidation record ready for submission as soon as you receive your annual renewal notification. This also means that you will have plenty of time to find a peer and make arrangements to hold your peer discussion.


I’ve made a request for a submission deadline extension, or for a reduction in the number of entries I need to submit.  What evidence do I need to provide to support my request?

You must provide evidence which helps to explain:

  • when the issue affected you
  • the length of time you were affected

For example, if you are making a request because you have been on maternity leave, upload a copy of your MAT1B form and your child’s birth certificate. This shows how long you were not working or practising, and when this took place. 
If you have been unable to work for significant periods of time because of illness, you could submit medical report from your treating physician to show when you were unable to work. If you have evidence of admission and discharge form hospital, this would also show when and for how long you were not able to work. 


I have renewed my annual registration but have just received a notice of intention to remove my entry from the register. Why?

Since September 2018, to renew your registration you must submit a revalidation record as well as paying a registration fee and declaring that you are fit to practise. 

As part of your renewal, you must make a declaration which says: 

"I declare that I am currently carrying out and recording revalidation activities, and will continue to do so, in line with the GPhC’s standards and framework for revalidation and the standards for pharmacy professionals.  I confirm that I will provide or have already provided my annual submission of revalidation records to the GPhC by my registration renewal date."

We recommend that you submit your record as soon your renewal window opens in myGPhC to make sure you do not forget to submit it when you renew.