Revalidation: telling us when you can’t submit some or all records

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 CPD.

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.

How do I tell you if I can’t submit a complete set of records?

On the revalidation page of myGPhC, click on the ‘Tell us why you can’t submit’ link. This will take you to the exceptional circumstances form. 

Tell us why you are not able to meet the requirements

Please give a brief explanation of the reasons why you aren’t able to submit all of your records by your renewal due date. Make sure you explain how your situation has affected your ability to carry out and record CPD. If you have been or are likely to be absent from work, include this too – it will help us understand the reasons for the changes you request.

Request changes to the requirements

There are two main changes you can request to the revalidation requirement:

1.    A submission extension

You may want to request an extension deadline if you have carried out at least the required number of revalidation activities throughout your registration year, but need more time to write up and submit these records. While the extension is in place, you will still need to carry out and record new revalidation activities and submit these by your next renewal due date.

2.    Submitting fewer records

If you have not been, or will not be, working as a pharmacy professional or carrying out revalidation activities for part of your registration year, you may want to request that you submit fewer revalidation records by your current renewal date. Use the form to tell us how many entries you will be able to submit. If there are any gaps in your records like this, they should not normally be longer than 12 months.

If you don’t think you will be able to meet the revalidation requirement even with these changes, please contact us.

Provide evidence to support your reasons

The evidence you provide should support the reasons you give for not being able to meet the revalidation requirement. For example:

• a copy of your MAT1B form if your break is due to maternity leave
• a doctor’s note or other medical documents which explain your condition if your break is due to sickness leave

You must provide at least one document – we will not consider a request without any supporting evidence.

Making a decision

We will use the information you provide in your form to assess the changes you propose and the reasons you have given for requesting the changes.

Once we receive your completed form, we will usually be able to make a decision about your circumstances and your proposal within 28 days.

We may need longer to make a decision during busy periods – so we recommend that you do not wait until your renewal is due before you submit your form.

Any questions? You can find out more about the submission requirements in the revalidation framework.