Key Summary
- The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has published new resources to help pharmacists and pharmacy technicians maintain and develop their skills.
- Revalidation ensures pharmacy professionals deliver safe, effective, and up-to-date patient care.
- New materials include advice for independent prescribers, specialist/leadership roles, updated FAQs, and guidance on the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has launched a suite of new resources designed to help pharmacists and pharmacy technicians get more value from their annual revalidation.
Revalidation requires pharmacy professionals to record their ongoing learning and reflection, demonstrating that they continue to meet the standards needed to provide safe and effective patient care.
The new resources mark the first step in a broader programme to review and improve the current framework, says GPhC.
Key additions to the framework include:
- Tailored guidance: Updated advice and real-world examples for pharmacist independent prescribers-including those actively prescribing and those maintaining their annotation while not currently practicing-as well as professionals in specialist or leadership positions.
- Good practice examples and FAQs: Guidance to help registrants make the most of the reflection process.
- AI guidance: An official statement clarifying the acceptable use of artificial intelligence (AI) when completing revalidation entries.
In April, GPhC released a position statement on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in pharmacy and urged pharmacy professionals to uphold professional integrity while using AI.
Recently, they also published advice to support newly-qualified prescribing pharmacists, a few months ahead of the first cohort joining the register.
The FAQ section answers key operational questions, such as why revalidation is required, when registrants should start recording their activity, and how many records must be submitted.
It also provides guidance for professionals taking maternity, paternity, or adoption leave, explaining how to request an extension or a reduction in required entries directly from the GPhC.
Lynsey Cleland, Chief Standards Officer at the GPhC, said that revalidation is an important way for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to reflect on their practice and demonstrate how they continue to maintain and develop their professional knowledge and skills throughout their careers.
“These new resources are intended to make the purpose of revalidation clearer and help registrants get more value from the process. They provide additional guidance and examples to support pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in a range of roles, including pharmacist independent prescribers and those working in specialist or leadership positions.”
She added: “Revalidation also plays an important role in providing assurance to patients, the public and other healthcare professionals that pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are continuing to maintain and develop the knowledge, skills and expertise needed to deliver safe and effective care.
“These resources are the first step in a wider programme of work to develop and improve the revalidation framework and strengthen how it supports pharmacists and pharmacy technicians throughout their professional careers.”
