This page provides information on the setting up of a new pharmacy regulator, alongside a new professional body for pharmacy, as part of a fundamental modernisation of the pharmacy profession.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) is the professional body for pharmacists and the regulatory body for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in England, Scotland and Wales.
In 2010, a new regulator for pharmacy – the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) – will replace the RPSGB as the regulator for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy premises in 2010. For further information visit the GPhC website.
At the same time, a new professional leadership body for pharmacy will come into being to provide leadership and support to the profession.
Chair
On Friday 26 June 2009, the Department of Health announced the appointment of Mr Bob Nicholls CBE as a lay member and Chair Designate of the GPhC.
Mr Nicholls has a long career in NHS senior management and is an experienced Chair and lay member in public life, including Chair of the National Clinical Assessment Authority, Member of the General Medical Council and London Commissioner for the Appointments Commission. Mr Nicholls was awarded his CBE in 1995 for services to healthcare. For further information click here.
Council
The remaining 13 members of the General Pharmaceutical Council were announced by Bob Nicholls at the British Pharmaceutical Conference on Sunday 6 September 2009. Consisting of six lay and seven registrant members, the new Council assumed their posts on 1 October 2009.
Registrant members Lay members
Cathryn Brown Sarah Brown
Soraya Dhillon Celia Davies
Kristie Hepburn John Flook
Elizabeth Kay Christina Funnell
Leslie Morgan Ray Jobling
Keith Wilson Judith Worthington
Peter Wilson
Chief Executive and Registrar
Duncan Rudkin was appointed as Chief Executive and Registrar designate on 28 September 2009. Mr Rudkin will take up his post full-time on 1 January 2010.
Mr Rudkin is currently Chief Executive and Registrar of the General Dental Council and was appointed to this post in June 2006. He has been with the GDC since 1998, where his previous roles include Director of Legal Services, Director of Professional Standards and Deputy Chief Executive. Before joining the GDC Mr Rudkin worked as a solicitor in the City of London.
Pharmacy Regulation and Leadership Oversight Group (PRLOG)
Ministers established the Pharmacy Regulation and Leadership Oversight Group (PRLOG) following their acceptance of all the recommendations of the Working Party on Professional Regulation and Leadership in pharmacy led by Lord Carter of Coles. The first meeting of PRLOG was held in August 2007.
PRLOG is an oversight group of 21 key pharmacy stakeholders, and its main purpose is to oversee and advise on the establishment of the GPhC for pharmacy in England, Scotland and Wales. For further information on PRLOG click here.
In his new position, the Chair designate of GPhC, Mr Nicholls, will begin the process of handover from PRLOG to the GPhC, although the group’s expertise may be used in the future, during the establishment process.
Draft Pharmacy Order 2009
On Tuesday 9 December 2008, the Department of Health, on behalf of England and Wales, and the Scottish Government launched a statutory consultation on proposals contained within the draft Pharmacy Order 2009 to establish the GPhC. The consultation closed on 9th March 2009. To view the consultation report click here.
The proposals within the draft Order follow on from the Government’s White Paper, Trust, Assurance and Safety - The Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century, which was published in February 2007.
Society's response The Society submitted its response to the consultation in early March. To view the response, and a paper and press release about the Society's views on the future use of the restricted title "pharmacist", click on the links below:
For a presentation by the RPGSB about the draft Order, click on the links below:
On 16 June 2009, the Department of Health published the response to the consultation on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health and the Scottish Ministers. Click here to view ‘Key Facts about the General Pharmaceutical Council’ which highlights how these decisions and the establishment of the GPhC will affect the working lives of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in 2010.
The draft Pharmacy Order 2009, amended in the light of response to consultation and further detailed scrutiny by Parliamentary Counsel, will be laid before the Scottish Parliament and the UK Parliament together with a report on the consultation at least 40 days before it comes into force in accordance with affirmative resolution procedures.
Health and Social Care Act 2008
The Health and Social Care Act received Royal Assent on 21 July 2008.
Measures have been included in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 to amend existing primary legislation extending the scope of Section 60 of the Health Act 1999, to enable the creation of the GPhC and the transfer of all the regulatory functions of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland to the GPhC.
The Northern Ireland Minister has, however, indicated that he does not intend to make a final decision as to the future of the professional regulatory arrangements for Northern Ireland until after the GPhC is established in Great Britain.
Section 60 of the Health Act 1999 permits amendments of Acts of Parliament and secondary legislation related to the regulation of health care professions. Section 60 Orders have been used over a number of years to enable professional regulation to keep pace with the changing needs of health professionals. A Section 60 Order, the Pharmacy Order 2009, will set out the role, functions and powers of the GPhC.
Standards Development
Work is taking place on the development of the standards for the GPhC. The work, being led by the Department of Health, began in November 2008 with an initial workshop involving key stakeholders to discuss existing standards, evidence of compliance and gaps in information services. This work has continued during the summer of 2009 with a further series of standards development workshops involving professional and patient/public representatives, and with focus groups for patients and the public in England, Scotland and Wales. Feedback from the focus groups has been fed into the main standards development workshops.
Formal consultation on the standards will take place in autumn 2009, subject to parliamentary timetable.
Click here for further information on the standards development work.
If you have any comments or questions about the establishment of the GPhC contact:
Legal and Ethical Advisory Service