Registering as a pharmacy technician with the GPhC

A ‘grandparenting period’ has been put in place to ease the transition to regulation for pharmacy technicians. This means that those individuals with relevant qualifications and work experience will be able to register formally as pharmacy technicians until 30 June 2011.

After this date, registration for pharmacy technicians will become mandatory, requirements will change and those who have not already registered will need to hold specific qualifications in order to do so. This may mean that you will need to undertake further qualifications before you can register.

If you don’t apply to register before mandatory registration starts you will not be able to call yourself a pharmacy technician or work as a pharmacy technician.

Up until 30 June 2011 you can apply to register with the GPhC as a pharmacy technician if you are:

• a UK-qualified pharmacy technician with transitional qualifications and work experience
• an EEA national with an EEA pharmacy technician qualification
• a person with a pharmacy qualification obtained outside the EEA
• or a non-EEA national with an EEA pharmacy qualification (other than a UK pharmacy qualification).

On or after 1 July 2011 you can apply to register with the GPhC as a pharmacy technician if

• you possess an approved competency based qualification, an approved knowledge based qualification and have completed a minimum of 2 years relevant work-based experience
• you are an EEA national with an EEA pharmacy technician qualification or
• If you were on the RPSGB’s practising register your registration will have been automatically transferred to the GPhC register. Confirmation of your registration status with the GPhC was sent to you with your renewal notice.

However, if you were on the RPSGB’s non-practising register you were not automatically transferred to the GPhC register, and will have to apply to register. You will need to make sure you meet the requirements for registration before you can apply to the GPhC register.

The GPhC has determined that any former RPSGB registrant will not be required to complete additional education, training or experience if they apply to register by 26 September 2012.

Further information and guidance can be found on the GPhC website.

Our dedicated consultant Dee O’Callaghan will welcome your calls or feedback on this topic: 02920827600