Scotland’s community pharmacy representatives oppose plans to
register and regulate technicians
Society regulation of technicians in Scotland opposed |
Community Pharmacy Scotland, the body that negotiates on behalf of community
pharmacy contractors in Scotland, is opposing plans for the Royal Pharmaceutical
Society to take on the regulation and registration of pharmacy technicians.
The CPS also questions the need for technicians working in the community
to face statutory regulation at all.
The comments come in its response (PDF,
60K) to a Department of Health consultation on the Healthcare and Associated
Professions (Miscellaneous
Amendments)
No 2 Order — part of the Government’s plans to reform professional
regulation.
The CPS argues that while technicians in hospital may operate more independently,
community technicians always work supervised by a pharmacist or according
to set procedures. “We are not convinced at this moment that demonstrable
need for the regulation of technicians working within the community has
been shown,” the CPS says.
And since only 526 technicians in Scotland have put their names on the
Society’s voluntary register, the CPS questions whether technicians
themselves are committed to registration. Opposition to registration from
technicians could, the CPS warns, affect recruitment in community pharmacy
and damage patient safety.
“
Our view is that we need to consider more carefully the distinction between
registration and regulation,” the CPS says. “We are not opposed
to moves towards the creation of a register or list of technicians working
within the community, but at this time we would question the need for statutory
powers to regulate and whether it is in fact what technicians want.”
The organisation also doubts the appropriateness of a GB-wide body like
the Society taking on the regulatory and registration duties because of
the differences to practice brought about by devolution.
It also points out that the Society will lose ts regulatory powers in
2011.
The comments have disappointed the Association of Pharmacy Technicians
UK.
Its president, Sarah Wilcox, said technician regulation and registration
was in the best
interests, of patient safety and that a separate system
for registration and regulation would prevent the free movement of technicians
across the UK. She said: “If the Society has agreed to regulate technicians
then it should be UK-wide. ”
|
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
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