The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has denied that it has any intention, at present, of registering pharmacy technicians.
In a statement issued on December 6, following last week's report (PJ, December 4, p888) that the National Pharmaceutical Association's board of management was to oppose a Society proposal to register technicians, the Society said: "It is important to correct an inaccuracy in the report of the NPA board of management meeting for November, which might also be inferred from articles in the press. Contrary to the NPA board report, the Council has neither considered nor proposed that the Society should become the regulatory/registration body for pharmacy technicians. What is a fact is that the Council had decided to investigate the desirability and feasibility of Society involvement in the regulation/registration of pharmacy technicians, including discussion with interested parties. The paper to which the NPA report refers [‘A possible role for the Society in the regulation of pharmacy technicians and other qualified dispensary support staff'] was only prepared as a background document for the discussion. The paper itself has not been considered by the Council."