The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 279 No 7459 p29
7 July 2007

Society summary

Royal Pharmaceutical Society guidance

Titles for those progressing towards registration as pharmacists or pharmacy technicians

It is essential that the public and other health and social care professionals understand the status of anyone progressing towards qualification as either a pharmacist or pharmacy technician from the professional title they use. In recent years the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has favoured the term “preregistration trainee” to describe an individual undertaking compulsory periods of structured work experience before registration as a pharmacist.

Article 13(b) of the Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians Order 2007 provides the Society with “a general function” of “overseeing” all stages, of education, training and experience for pharmacists and prospective pharmacists, including the preregistration training and experience. The Society will gain parallel powers in respect of pharmacy technicians once the provisions of the Order that relate to the statutory regulation of pharmacy technicians are brought into force. The title “pharmacist” is protected in law and the title “pharmacy technician” will become protected two years after the start of statutory registration. In anticipation of this, some employers have started to favour the use of the term “preregistration” in the description of those in training to become pharmacy technicians.

In response to queries from employers the Society is issuing guidance on how best to indicate status and to minimise the risk of inadvertent use of a title that could be misleading -— or even place the user in legal difficulties. This guidance is not about how grades or posts are described in more detail by employers, but it operates at the higher level of the relationship with people outside the pharmacy team.

Where the descriptor “preregistration” is used within the title of those undertaking structured training in the workplace leading to registration in the Society’s registers it is recommended that the term “trainee” is included within the title, for example “preregistration trainee pharmacist” or “preregistration trainee pharmacy technician” to help to ensure clarity outside the profession.