Review of the Pharmacy National Occupational Standards
Skills for Health is undertaking a review of the Pharmacy suite of National Occupational Standards (NOS) with stakeholders, including the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
As the GPhC, the regulatory body for pharmacy across the UK, is beginning a review this year of the education and training standards for pharmacy technicians, it is important that the NOS are reviewed at the same time.
The revised NOS can then reflect any changes that may be needed.
Once the NOS have been approved, the current qualifications can then be reviewed in line with the revised NOS and GPhC requirements. It is not the intention of this project to review the structure of the regulated qualifications as this will be undertaken following the NOS approval.
The review of the education and training standards may bring other functions into the scope of the regulated pharmacy technician role. Where National Occupational Standards do not exist for these functions, new ones will be developed.
New NOS will only be developed as part of this project where it is necessary to meet the requirements of the GPhC for the regulated pharmacy technician role. Some of the functions undertaken by pharmacy technicians are also undertaken by pharmacy/dispensing assistants, therefore any revisions to the NOS should ensure that they apply to both roles where appropriate.
Skills for Health have convened a project steering group and working group. The working group will revise the NOS over the next few months. A wider online consultation will be held over the summer and will begin in August. The project will conclude in January 2016.
To be placed on the mailing list to be informed when the wider consultation is live, please email competences@skillsforhealth.org.uk