Pharmacy Order 2010

Pharmacy lawyer Roy Botterill outlines details of the new Pharmacy Order 2010.

The new Order was published on 12th November 2009.

The order:

• establishes a new pharmacy regulator, the General Pharmaceutical Council ("GPhC") and sets out the arrangements, in Great Britain, for the professional regulation of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
• Makes provision in respect of the registration and regulation of pharmacy premises together with consequential amendments to existing primary and secondary legislation that are necessary as a result of the establishment of the GPhC. Provision is also included in respect of:
– the education and training of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians
– the establishment of a new scheme relating to the continuing professional development of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
• Aims to ensure that pharmacy regulation is proportionate and does not get in the way of good patient care.
• Establishes the GPhC’s statutory duty in line with that of other professional regulators to ensure it considers the interests of stakeholders in its deliberations.
• Sets out the framework for the constitutional and governance arrangements for the GPhC.
• Provides for accountability to the UK and Scottish Parliaments, covering annual reports (including arrangements to ensure that the regulator adheres to good practice in relation to equality and diversity, and a report on the effectiveness of its Fitness to Practise procedures) and strategic plans.
• Establishes the GPhC’s key functions which include:
– registration of qualified and competent practitioners
– temporary registration and annotations during emergencies
– setting and securing standards of practice, continuing professional development and conduct
– operating fitness to practise procedures to deal with registrants where there are concerns about their fitness to practise and protect the public from registrants who become unfit to practise
– registration, regulation and inspection of pharmacy premises and enforcement responsibilities.

For more information on the legal services for pharmacies, please contact Roy Botterill on roy.botterill@harveyingram.com or call 0116 257 4431.