The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 273 No 7315 p330
4 September 2004

Society summary

Guidance on acceptable work experience for technician registration

The Council of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has approved guidance for pharmacy technicians on what is acceptable work experience for those seeking to join the voluntary register of pharmacy technicians in 2005.

The guidance document was presented to the August Council meeting by Gerald Alexander. The first section of the document explains that the transitional (“grandparent” clause) arrangements for registration include a straightforward procedure for those with evidence of both an acceptable qualification and work experience that meets agreed criteria. Where the work experience does not meet the specified minimum number of hours worked or has not been under the supervision, direction or guidance of a pharmacist, the applicant will need to provide further information for consideration by professional assessors. The guidance explains this screening process.

The document’s second section lists a range of job roles considered acceptable for registration purposes. As well as work in a community or hospital pharmacy, the list includes work in primary care organisations, in industry, in wholesaling, in the armed forces, in health information, in pharmacy education, in pharmacy organisations, in pharmacy journalism or for dispensing GPs.

The third section gives specific guidance for those who have relevant work experience but do not meet the criteria for the minimum number of hours worked. The fourth section gives guidance for those who meet the criteria for hours worked but whose work experience does not meet the Society’s requirements. A final section answers some frequently asked questions.
When the Council considered the document, Linda Stone commented that it did not include a mechanism for appeal should the assessors determine that somebody does not satisfy the requirements. The Government would expect to see an appeal mechanism.

Janet Flint, head of support staff regulation, said that once the Society had statutory powers there would be a route of appeal. She would be looking at a draft process for the voluntary register.

Clive Jackson said that two further roles might be worth adding to the scenario. One was working in GP practices other than dispensing practices. The other was working for a national organisation that was is not a pharmacy organisation, such as the National Patient Safety Agency, which employs two pharmacy technicians.
Ms Flint said that, with a little rewording, the paragraph about working for dispensing GPs could accommodate the first category. In the case of non-pharmacy organisations, she would advise that the screening process should decide whether the work experience offered by such an organisation was relevant.

Asked for clarification on the grandparent clause criteria for hours worked, Ms Flint said that the Council had already agreed a minimum of 28 hours a week for two of the previous four years, or 14 hours a week for four of the previous eight years.

The guidance document can be downloaded from the pharmacy support staff section of the Society’s website (www.rpsgb.org/ pharmacysupportstaff).
The Council went on to approve a document of guidance for pharmacists on the technician registration application process and on the pharmacist’s responsibilities when countersigning a pharmacy technician’s registration form. This guidance is to be placed on the Society’s website in due course.