The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 277 No 7432 p759
23/30 December 2006

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News summary

S60 Order published; expected to come into force early in 2007

The long-awaited Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians Order 2007 has been published as a draft Statutory Instrument (PDF 350K).

Debates on the Order in the House of Commons and in the House of Lords are expected to take place in January 2007. Following approval by both Houses, it is expected that the Order will be made at a Privy Council meeting on 7 February.

After the draft Order was published at the end of last week, a Royal Pharmaceutical Society spokeswoman said: “The Society is delighted to see that the draft section 60 Order has been published as this signals that the Order is well advanced in its progression through the various stages of Governmental approval.”

However, not all parts of the Order will come into effect at once since the process of bringing the various sections into effect will be linked to the making of rules for various functions by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Council. This rule-making process will be divided into various stages. Fitness-to-practise and registration rules will be made soon after the Order itself.

The Order, made under Section 60 of the Health Act 1999, repeals the Pharmacy Act 1954 and brings in a new regulatory regime for pharmacists. It also makes the occupation of pharmacy technician a regulated profession in England and Wales, but not Scotland.

The final draft includes some of the alterations requested by the Society’s Council earlier this year (PJ, 17 June, p707). One such change is to the definition of pharmacy or pharmacy technician practice, which will now include working in or giving any advice in relation to the practice of pharmacy. Another is that GB registered pharmacists who work overseas will be able to be on the non-practising part of the Society’s Register.

The Council has been partially successful in its request that the chairman of the new Disciplinary Committee continue to be appointed by the Privy Council, as has been the case for the Statutory Committee. The final draft provides for the appointment to be made by the Privy Council, but allows the Privy Council to seek assistance from the Government’s Appointments Commission.