Registration as a Pharmacist in the UK
Ian J Cubbin 19 th November 2015
The start of it all…….1815 Apothecaries Act
The Act introduced compulsory apprenticeship and formal qualifications for apothecaries, in modern terms- general practitioners, under the license of the Society of Apothecaries. It was the beginning of regulation of the medical profession in the UK. The Act required instruction in anatomy, botany, chemistry, materia medica and “physic”, in addition to six months' practical hospital experience.
Early progress in Pharmacy Education
1841 Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain1842 The College of the Pharmaceutical
Society founded in Bloomsbury1849 The School of Pharmacy became
independent and was incorporated into University of London
1849 Liverpool School of Pharmacy founded
How did it feel?Early members were mostly members of the
Livery companyCompounding was the fundamental part and
required an apprenticeshipExpansion of the industry- Beecham,
Burroughs WellcomeThe experts in drugs-mainly in the community
Post 1948Qualifications were varied-but all required a 3
year practical apprenticeshipDispensing assistants (one year qualification from
Apothecaries Hall often taught at independent Schools of Pharmacy)
Chemists and Druggists (two year qualification, having passed the “Minors”)-many also became Dispensing Opticians (one year further study)
Pharmaceutical Chemists (three year qualifications, having passed the “Majors’)
Bachelor of Pharmacy graduates
1960s- A graduate profession
Regulation abolished ApprenticeshipsMPS -MinorsFPS - MajorsUniversities and Polytechnics offered a
bachelors degree followed by a one year pre-registration training.
Bradford Model-a sandwich course
The registration examination Initially the postgraduate training simply
involved having a pre-registration tutor who ‘signed you off’ as competent after 12 months.
Very variable levels of competence, as much to do with the tutor as the student
The RPSGB introduced its pre-registration examination in 1991 and the format has remained unchanged for 25 years.
Format and Style of the Exam2 papers, all multiple choice in 4 different formats
Closed book in the morning-90 minutes 90 questions Open book in the afternoon 150 minutes 80 questions
The open book exam included 20 calculation questions and calculators not permitted.
The approved texts were Drug Tariff, Medicines Ethics and Practice Guide and the British National Formulary
Pass mark 70% in both the calculations and the other questions.
The Master of Pharmacy degreeThe teaching of pharmacy in the
undergraduate programme changed radically when in 1997 the 4 year programme was introduced.
Consequences were varied- a fallow year of graduates was followed by a fallow year of pharmacists (2001).
Overhauling of programmes varied in Schools of Pharmacy
Separation of Roles-September 2010Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great
BritainNow the membership body, supporting
pharmacists and the development of the profession though a range of activities
General Pharmaceutical CouncilNow the regulator of the profession, charged
with ensuring patient safety.Registers both pharmacists and pharmacy
technicians
StandardsStandards for Continuing Professional Development
(2010)
Standards for the initial education and training of pharmacy technicians (2010)
Standards for the initial education and training of pharmacists (2011) and Non-EEA pharmacists wishing to register in UK (2011)
Standards of conduct, ethics and performance (2012)
And standards of premises
Patient Safety
This is the cornerstone of the work of the GPhC.
In October 2014 the GPhC began to review the Code of Conduct in the light of the Mid-Staffordshire and other reports
The outcome is yet to be published.
Registration with the GPhCStill a two part process after gaining MPharm degree
or completing the Overseas Pharmacist Course
Pre-registration period with satisfactorily completed competencies
Passing pre-registration examination often seen as the final hurdle
4 years ago the Board of Examiners began the first substantial overhaul of the assessment since it started
Guiding PrinciplesOn Day 1 the pharmacist must be SAFE.The assessment should have as much
artificiality as possible removedThe Board do NOT have responsibility for the
training programmeSetting a syllabus no longer relevant,
demonstration of competence important
What about Mathematics?
Evidence suggested that the 20 questions in the Open book section of assessment was no longer appropriate.
Practicing pharmacists decried the absence of a calculator, saying it was unrealistic in the 21st Century
The Board of Assessors commissioned work on the subject
From June 2016 the format of the calculations section of the Assessment will be radically different
Paper 1 June 2016Calculations PaperCalculators permitted-candidates must bring
their own and it must be one of THREE manufacturer types
40 questions2 hoursWritten answers only- not MCQunits provided
Paper 2 June 2016
“Clinical” paper No calculators, but simple calculations may
occur120 questions2.5 hoursNo reference texts-but reference material may
be provided for some questions e.g. extracts from BNF
MCQ and eMCQ questions only
Life Expectancy of the New Exam The last one lasted 25 years!
Until the integrated 5 year programme?
Fit for purpose because it focuses on the barely passing candidate-not the borderline candidate.
Who will be blamed if the success rates drop?
Some observations from the insidePreceptors or pre-registration tutors can
influence the future pharmacists in a way that academics rarely do
Are we dealing with selection or recruitment?
What impact would a 5 year integrated degree have?
What about OSCEs (at any level)?
And finally……
Thank you for allowing me to share these
personal observations