Under a Memorandum of Understanding, the Pharmaceutical Society NI and GPhC collaborate substantively in terms of educational functions. In particular, and to ensure that there is a consistent approach to undergraduate pharmacy education throughout the UK, the Pharmaceutical Society NI currently adopts the GPhC’s Standards for Initial Education and Training for Pharmacists (2011), thus ensuring that pharmacy graduates throughout the UK are required to meet the same standards and are able to complete their pre-registration training anywhere in the UK.
On the 9 January 2019, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), the pharmacy regulator in Great Britain, launched a consultation on revised Initial Education and Training Standards for Pharmacists. In recognising the benefits of maintaining our consistent approach, we have been collaborating with the GPhC about these proposals. However, we wish to ensure that the consultation accurately reflects views from a Northern Ireland perspective, therefore, we would like to bring this consultation to your attention and would encourage you to respond.
Should new Initial Education and Training Standards be agreed, it is likely that the approach to delivering pharmacy education throughout the UK will change and may effect pre-registration training programmes, universities, students, employers and training organisations.
These proposals will be of interest to all those involved in pharmacy, in particular those with involvement in education and training, and including the public. We would encourage all to study the proposals and provide their views in response. Responses from Northern Ireland will be considered by the GPhC in conjunction with the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society NI.
The proposals and information on how to respond may be found here: