General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) is Great Britain's independent body involved in the independent regulation of pharmacists and pharmacy premises and technicians.

It was established in September 2010, when the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain was divided to separate the regulatory and representative services of the pharmacy profession.

GPHC is actively involved in setting up standards for the pharmacy support staff as well which also takes into account the medicine counter assistants and the dispensing assistants. The organization's main role is protection, promotion and maintenance of health, well being and safety of the public members.

The organization's main role is protection, promotion and maintenance of health, well being and safety of the public members. GPHC is actively involved in setting up standards for the pharmacy support staff as well which also takes into account the medicine counter assistants and the dispensing assistants.

Key Functions of GPhC

Following are the principal functions executed by the General Pharmaceutical council:

• Approving the qualifications of the pharmacy technicians and pharmacists alongside providing education and trainer accreditations.
• Maintaining a register enlisting the pharmacists and the pharmacy technicians and premises.
• Declaring standards for education and training, continuing professional development (CPD), proficiency, conduct and ethics.
• Setting and promoting safety and effective pharmacy practice standards at registered pharmacies.
• Setting up and monitoring fitness to practice requirements of the pharmacy professionals alongside fair dealing with complaints and issues.

GPhC Governance

The General Pharmaceutical Council is under the governance of GPHC council run by a fourteen member committee, consisting of equal strength of registrant and lay members that is government independent as well as not associated with the regulating professionals and other such interest groups. The independence is reinforced by appointing all the GPHC members (including the chairman) instead of electing, which is done by the Privy Council. The chair of the GPhC Council is currently held by Bob Nicholls CBE. Bob Nicholls CBE is a lay member and with years of experience working in National Health Service and a previous lay member at the General Medical Council.

Under statute, the General Pharmaceutical Council must have the following committees:

• Investigating Committee
• Fitness to Practise Committee
• Appeals Committee

GPhC Examinations

The GPHC Exam, also known as GPhC Registration Assessment exam was started by Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. However, it has become the responsibility of GPHC since September 2010. The examinations are conducted biannually, one is held during the summer, i.e. the last Friday of June and the other is held in the autumn, i.e. in the last Friday of September.