PDA calls on contractors to support their prov reg pharmacists after assessment results

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has urged community pharmacy employers to support their provisionally registered pharmacists once their registration assessment results are announced.

The candidates, who have appeared for the GPhC’s first online assessments on March 17 and 18 March, will receive their results via email by 9 am on April 29.

The latest call by the association follows the General Pharmaceutical Council’s (GPhC) announcement that those who fail to pass their registration assessment will be removed from the 'provisional' list as soon as the exam results are announced.

“The whole cohort and the wider profession will see how employers treat these vulnerable employees at this time. The PDA reiterate the request that employers take every effort to treat all those who do not pass fairly, sensitively and with dignity,” the association said.

“Not just because that is the decent thing for employers to do, but at a time that the role of pharmacists is now on the shortage occupation list, employers should be extremely mindful of the impact their actions will have on their reputation with potential future employees.”

Jasraj Mathura, a provisionally registered pharmacist and PDA Union executive committee member said: “The past 12 months have been extremely challenging for pre-registration pharmacists. Following the GPhC postponement of the initial ‘paper based’ assessment last year there were some of us who took on the new role of provisional registered pharmacist, at the height of the pandemic, and others who were unable to register provisionally, many of whom have supported pharmacy teams across the different sectors. More than two thousand individuals have spent hours revising and sat the GPhC online assessment last month.”

The PDA has said that it will continue to support all members, including student, pre-registration, provisionally registered and pharmacist members, and any potential pharmacists who have not yet passed the assessment but are eligible to sit the assessment in future.

It added that it will be providing advice about the appeals processes for those who wish to consider a challenge to their exam result.