The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7223 p694
9 November 2002

Society summary

Parliamentarians discuss recognition of qualifications

A parliamentary briefing of October 31 gave peers and members of parliament an opportunity to discuss concerns about a draft European Union directive on the recognition of professional qualifications.

The briefing, hosted by Baroness Finlay, brought together the 10 UK health professional regulators who have formed the Alliance of UK Health Regulators on Europe (AURE) to ensure that the drive towards free movement of professionals in the EU does not compromise patient safety (PJ, 27 July, p123). Patient organisations were also represented at the briefing, which was held in the House of Lords.

The parliamentarians endorsed the professions' concerns at proposals in the directive that would allow all professionals from member stated to practice in any other state for 16 weeks in any given year without being registered.

The President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Marshall Davies, joined his counterparts from other health professional regulators in calling for health professionals to be exempt from the purposes of the directive.

"While we welcome the contribution that professionals from other countries can make to health care, it is imperative that any practitioner working in the UK is registered with the competent authority to ensure that patient safety is paramount," he said.

AURE is also working with the European Parliament and the European Commission to press home its concerns and to see the draft directive amended.