Fitness to practise
The Pharmaceutical Society NI (the organisation) describe fitness to practise as a pharmacist’s suitability to be on the register without restrictions. This means: maintaining appropriate standards of proficiency ensuring they are of good health and good character, and are adhering to principles of good practice set out in the standards, guidance and advice issued by the Pharmaceutical Society NI.
Reasons which may impair a pharmacist’s fitness to practise include ill-health, lack of the ability to competently practise as a pharmacist or findings of misconduct including convictions of a criminal offence.
What is the purpose of Fitness to Practise proceedings?
In July 2014 the Professional Standards Authority (the PSA) produced the following statement, outlining the purpose of the regulators’
Fitness to Practise (FtP) process:
“The purpose of the regulators’ fitness to practise processes
To help protect the public and maintain public trust in the health and care professions, the regulators we oversee use a ‘fitness to practice process’ to enforce professional standards. Although each regulator has their own different process, they all share the same purpose which is to protect the public and maintain public trust in the professions they regulate.”
The full statement can be found here: PSA statement of July 2014
What will the Pharmaceutical Society NI investigate?
The professional and personal conduct of the pharmacist will be judged against the Pharmaceutical Society NI’s Code of Ethics. A breach of the principles may bring the pharmacist’s fitness to practise into question and may lead to referral to the organisation’s disciplinary process.
For further details of the Fitness to Practice process and procedures please download the following document:
If you require clarification on any of these matters please contact the Fitness to Practise section of the Pharmaceutical Society NI at
73 University Street
Belfast
Co. Antrim
BT7 1HL
or email: