Revalidation and Fitness to Practice Flashcards
What is the revalidation framework for pharmacy professionals (2018)?
- 4 CPD records, 2 planned, 2 unplanned
- Peer discussion (NOT an appraisal)
- Reflective account
- records are submitted at the same time as the annual declarations - every year
What is the purpose of a peer discussion?
the GPhC want pharmacy professionals to identify someone with whom they can speak about their practice with
Who can be selected for a peer discussion and what is their role?
anyone that the pharmacy professional trusts, respects and can be open and honest with
they DON’T make any assessments or judgements, they just state that the peer discussion took place
How can the peer discussion take place?
- in person
- over the phone
- other form of communication
What needs to be included in the peer discussion record?
- Name/Contact Details/Role of the peer on this occassion
2. Describe how the peer discussion changed your practice for the benefit of the people using the services
What is a reflective account?
a short reflective essay on your own practice
has to be based on one of the GPhC standards for pharmacy professionals
What needs to be included in the reflective account record?
- tell briefly about your area of work
- tell briefly who the typical users of your services are
- tell how you meet the standards for pharmacy professionals
- give a real example taken from your practice to illustrate how you meet the standards
When writing a reflective account, the pharmacy professional gets to decide which standard of the 9 that they write about - true or false?
FALSE - the GPhC tell the professionals which standards to choose each year
choice from the couple that they choose
All of your records will be reviewed to give you personalised feedback - true or false?
FALSE - the GPhC randomly select records for review
if selected - you will get personalised feedback
if not selected - then you get the generalised feedback
When do the GPhC consider a professional to be ‘fit to practice’?
- when they can show they have the skills, knowledge, character and health to do their job safely
- when they can maintain the reputation of the profession
this is where a person is SUITABLE to be on the register
How often to professionals have to demonstrate that they are fit to practice?
every year with their annual declarations and renewal
What would impair a professionals fitness to practice?
- Misconduct
- Deficient Professional Practice (a lack of clinical knowledge)
- Adverse Physical/Mental Health that impairs practice or ability to carry out responsibilities
- Failure to comply with requirements imposed by assessors in connection with carrying out a professional performance assessment
- Conviction for a criminal offence in the British Isles AND ELSEWHERE
- Fixed Penalty
- Police caution in the British Islands
- Determination by a Uk regulatory body that a person’s FtP is impaired
- being included in a barred list (Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act)
Where would the various complaints of a professional’s fitness to practice come from?
- patients/public
- other HCPs
- primary care organisations/clinical commissioning groups
- other regulatory and enforcement authorities
- inspection visits
Even if a complaint goes to a larger organisation than the GPhC (trust/health boards/hospitals) there is still an obligation to raise this to the GPhC - true or false?
FALSE - they will have their own systems in place to deal with complaints and it is NOT an obligation to raise this to the GPhC
What is the threshold criteria for an investigation by the FtP?
where the registrar of the GPhC should NOT refer cases to the investigating committee unless there is evidence that suggests:
- conduct presents actual or potential risk to patient/public safety
- conduct undermines the confidence in pharmacy professionals
- serious/persistent failure to meet any of the standards for pharmacy professionals
- honesty/integrity can no longer be relied upon
- adverse physical/mental health presents a risk to the ability to practice safely
- it is in the public’s interest to refer
What is the procedure when a concern is raised?
concern is raised concern is then investigated - if meets the threshold criteria INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE then the FITNESS TO PRACTICE COMMITTEE
What does an investigation include when a concern is investigated?
- speaking to the complainant and any witnesses
- speaking to the professional themselves
- visit the registered pharmacy premises
- witness statements from patients/other members of the public
- formally interview pharmacists/employees/owners of pharmacies
- seize evidence
What are the 3 statutory committees of the GPhC?
- Investigating Committee - they don’t make decision on an individual’s FtP, they just consider wether to raise it and pass it onto FtP
- Fitness to Practice Committee
- Appeals Committee
If the investigating committee decides NOT to refer onto the fitness to practice committee, what other options does the investigating committee have?
- warning that is recorded in the register
- advice to the person concerned
- advice to other people/body involved in the investigation
the registrar has a duty to inform the person(s) who made the allegation of the decisions and actions of the investigating committee - true or false?
TRUE
they deserve to know what happens once they have raised the concern and what the outcomes are
Within what time period must the professional supply details to the FtP if there is a referral following an investigation?
14 days - failure to do this is an issue for Fitness to Practice in itself
What details does the professional need to supply to the FtP if there is a referral following an investigation?
details of the professional’s
- employer
- person/organisation with which has arrangements to provide pharmacy services
Who and what must the registrar of the GPhC register notify if there is a referral to the FtP committee?
THE SECRETARY OF STATE of the investigation of the professional’s FtP
- Employer
- Person/organisation with which has arrangements to provide pharmacy services
What is the procedure if the FtP of a professional is found to be impaired?
- they will investigate further
- call a hearing
- panel makes a decision on the final decision
