The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 279 No 7480 p630
1 December 2007

Society summary

DDA and Society’s technicians register not comparable

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has issued a response to the launch of a non-statutory register of dispensers by the Dispensing Doctors’ Association (DDA).

When the DDA technicians register was launched in November 2007, the DDA said: “For many years,we have tried to agree a common line with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and even though, through Skills for Health, we are working with them towards a common core of qualifications [for technicians], progress is slow. We have, therefore, gone ahead with our own register, which will serve as a national database of dispensers and their qualifications.”

However, unlike the Society, the DDA has no statutory regulatory powers and the dispensing qualification to register on the DDA list is not comparable to that required for entry on the Register of Pharmacy Technicians, the Society says.

For example, the qualification level for registration with the Society is higher than for GP dispensers — pharmacy technicians have a wider role in supporting the delivery of high quality patient care. This is important in assuring patient safety and public confidence in the care received through pharmacies, it says.

The Society adds that the current pharmacy services qualifications for dispensing and pharmacy assistants (level 2) and pharmacy technicians (level 3) are not readily transferable between the two environments because of the different supervision requirements.

In addition to a level 3 qualification, the registration criteria for entry to the Register of Pharmacy Technicians requires applicants to have had work experience under the supervision, direction or guidance of a pharmacist.

In 2004, the Society reached a compromise with the DDA, allowing pharmacy technicians, who now work for dispensing GPs, to apply to the Register, providing they have undertaken a minimum level of work experience in a pharmacy environment.

It is happy for this arrangement to continue and sees this as important to ensure that, whenever patients have their medicines dispensed, patient safety is at the forefront of the training provided to the staff who undertake this crucial and potentially high risk activity.

The Society and the DDA are currently working with Skills for Health to review both qualifications and to reach agreement on whether a single set of qualifications can be developed, or if different qualifications are required for the two environments.

The Society opened its voluntary Register of Pharmacy Technicians in January 2005. Separate to the Register, the Society has a range of policies covering minimum training and competence requirements for pharmacy support staff, using a team approach to regulation.