The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) have decided to postpone the 2020 registration exam sittings, until later this year, or possibly early 2021. The GPhC have also outlined that there is a  possibility that we may be granted  provisional registration status. The unnecessary delay of Pre-registration Pharmacists registering has significant implications on both trainees themselves, businesses, as well as pharmacy services overall. A delay of such a length does not seem necessary for trainees

In the current Pandemic, Pharmacists are considered to be key workers. The GPhC should be doing more to ensure that as many pharmacists can get on the register as quickly but as safely possible, which could help to relieve the constantly growing pressure which pharmacy services are under.

Many pre-registration trainees have secured jobs currently on the basis that they will be registered come August. This also has implications on future prospects for trainees, as employers may be more reluctant to hire a provisionally registered pharmacist, than a fully registered one. 

Further complications may arise in the way that the COVID-19 virus may present another peak outbreak at another point, which could occur towards the end of the year. This uncertainty of virus pattern means that the GPhC cannot confidently say that their decision will not need to change again towards the end of the year. 

We want the GPhC to provide pre-registration trainees with an alternative registration option. We believe that there are means other than delaying the exam which would assess a trainees competency and safety for practice, and that the GPhC should consider these more carefully. We also ask that the GPhC include trainees in any further decision making, as this is the future of our practice and we deserve to have a say. Options include 52 weeks of training and have the trainees tutor decide if they are suitable for practice during a robust appraisal process, which perhaps could include a day of practice observation. Alternatively, an online assessment in line with the timing of the current scheduled assessment. We believe that such options should be considered more carefully and that trainees should be provided with a full explanation, if these options are not considered.