Pharmacy Education, Training and Acquisition of Experience

Question 1

Who are the people that need to be consulted when they want to change the standard requirements?

Answer 1

• Registrants
• Employers of Registrants
• Professional Bodies/Organisations representing the registrants
• Users of the services
• Persons carrying on a retail pharmacy business at a registered pharmacy
• Persons or bodies providing, assessing, regulating or funding education and training for registrants or prospective registrant

Question 2

What is GPhC GUIDANCE?

Answer 2

information and advice to help pharmacy professionals meet GPhC STANDARDS

the guidance itself is not mandatory, but is there to support - so is what you SHOULD be doing, not what you MUST be doing

Question 3

the GPhC set standards of proficiency for the safe and effective practice of pharmacy which it is necessary for .a person to achieve in order to be entered into which parts of the register?

Answer 3

Part 1 - Pharmacists

Part 2 - Pharmacy Technicians

Question 4

the GPhC also set standards for universities - true or false?

Answer 4

TRUE

they set standards of education, training and experience that providers of education and training must meet

Question 5

What are the things that the GPhC can accredit/approve in relation to the education and training of pharmacy professionals?

Answer 5

• courses of education/training that CONFER to the standards of proficiency
• qualifications that are granted following successful examination (inc. english tests)
• institutions and other providers inc. tutors
• premises as being suitable for postgraduate education and training (ANNOTATIONS)

Question 6

the GPhC must publish and maintain a list of the aspects they accredit - true or false?

Answer 6

TRUE

Question 7

only EEA nationals have to prove their competency in English in order to be granted registration - true or false?

Answer 7

FALSE

all registrants will have to prove their competency in English as there cannot be any discrimination against EEA nationals - free movement of nationals at the moment across the EU

evidence of english language skills applies to all - irrespective of whether the professional is from the UK, EU or Switzerland

Question 8

What is the legal basis for English Language Competency?

Answer 8

The Health Care and Associated Professions (Knowledge of English) Order 2015

• LEGAL REQUIREMENT for all registrants to have necessary knowledge of English for safe and effective practice

the order makes provision to introduce language controls for HCPs who are nationals of an EEA State or Switzerland

Question 9

What do the GPhC determine in respect of education and training?

Answer 9

• programmes or courses and the amount of programmes and types of programmes are enough to obtain an annotation
• education, training and experience necessary to address fitness to practice matters

Question 10

What do the GPhC hold assessments for?

Answer 10

• Approved Qualifications
• Additional Education/Training/Experience
• Becoming and Acting as Tutors

they can also appoint EXAMINERS and they hold a list of premises that are training establishments

Question 11

Where can the GPhC appoint ‘visitors’ to?

Answer 11

• any relevant course of education or training is , or is proposed to be, given
• any examination or other assessment
• any test of competence (inc. proficiency in knowledge and use of English)

Question 12

What is included in the GPhC ‘visitors’ report?

Answer 12

• Nature/Content/Quality of Instruction
• Facilities
• Any other matters

Question 13

a copy of the visitors report is only sent to the GPhC - true or false?

Answer 13

FALSE - one is also sent to the institution

Question 14

What are the implications possible if the GPhC decide that the standards are not met, regarding the education and training courses/institutions?

Answer 14

• impose probationary/remedial arrangements or conditions

- refuse to approve/withdraw approval

Question 15

What TYPES of qualifications can the GPhC accredit?

Answer 15

• MPharm Degrees
• OSPAPs (year at uni + pre reg year)
• Prescribing programmes leading to pharmacist annotation
• Competency and knowledge based qualification leading to pharmacy technician registration (Apprenticeship type model)
• Pharmacy, dispensing and MCA courses

Question 16

You can work as a Medicines Counter Assistant without doing any qualifications - true or false?

Answer 16

TRUE - but only for 3 months, any longer you have to be enrolled on a training programme

Question 17

What does Standard 10 of the Standards for the initial Education and Training of Pharmacists state?

Answer 17

what all students should know by the fourth year of their MPharm degree and what they should be able to do by the end of their pre-registration year

Question 18

What does Appendix 1 of the Standards for the initial Education and Training of Pharmacists state?

Answer 18

the indicative syllabus

Question 19

What are the current new proposals for the Standards for the Initial Education and Training of Pharmacists?

Answer 19

• integrate the pre-reg into the uni degree, closer integration between academic study and practical experience
• strengthening experiential learning and inter-professional learning
• revise learning outcomes (more focus on communication)
• expectation that employers and commissioners work together in order to integrate the 52 weeks of learning in practice
• more structured pre-reg year with more regular and documented progress meetings
• strengthen requirements in relation to selection and admission to equality, diversity and inclusion

Question 20

Who do the 9 standards for pharmacy professionals apply to?

Answer 20

• undergraduate students
• pre registration
• pharmacy professionals

they apply to all stages of qualifying

Question 21

What are the standards for pharmacy professionals?

Answer 21

standards relating to the conduct, ethics and performance of registrants

this is the criteria that the Fitness to Practice committee use to decide whether the requirements as to a registrant’s fitness to practice are met or not

they are all based on the safe and effective care of service users

Question 22

the standards of pharmacy professionals need to be met only during work hours or when acting in the course of the profession - true or false?

Answer 22

FALSE

standards need to be met at all times, not just during work hours

Question 23

What does being PROACTIVE about the standards for pharmacy professionals mean?

Answer 23

• revalidation on the register each year

- premises inspections

Question 24

What does being REACTIVE about the standards for pharmacy professionals mean?

Answer 24

when someone doesn’t meet the standards or when things go wrong the GPhC will carry out
- investigations