The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has updated its guidance on managing fitness to practise concerns in pharmacy education and training.
The guidance [855KB] focuses on the fitness to practise of students and trainees on courses forming part of the education and training of people wanting to register as pharmacy professionals in Great Britain (GB) and Northern Ireland (NI). The purpose of the guidance is to provide advice to everyone involved in the education and training of pharmacy professionals about their responsibilities in relation to the fitness to practise of students and trainees.
Previously the guidance only applied to schools of pharmacy, but now applies to all providers of education and training that lead to pharmacy professional registration, including courses for pharmacy technicians.
The revised guidance places greater emphasis on the support education and training providers should offer to supporting students and trainees with disabilities or other physical or mental health conditions.
The revised guidance also describes how concerns about behaviour, conduct or health should be shared when more than one organisation is involved in education and training.
GPhC Chief Executive Duncan Rudkin said:
“This revised guidance will help education and training providers to develop and apply consistent procedures when concerns are raised about a student or trainee. It will also help students and trainees understand the importance of professionalism and fitness to practise.
“We are also providing a set of case studies [446KB] to accompany the guidance to help individuals and organisations both understand the principles and put them into practice.”
Notes to Editors
- Stakeholders were invited to comment on proposed changes to the guidance in November and December last year.
- The new document replaces Guidance on student fitness to practise procedures in schools of pharmacy (Revised July 2018) [PDF 759KB].