Pharmacy Order 2010 passed in House of Lords

GPhC Chair welcomes passing of Pharmacy Order 2010 in House of Lords

The GPhC Chair designate Bob Nicholls welcomed the passing of the Pharmacy Order 2010 by the House of Lords last night. The Pharmacy Order 2010 was passed by the Scottish Parliament in December 2009 and in the House of Commons in January 2010.

Bob Nicholls said: “With the parliamentary process for the Order now complete, another major milestone has been passed, as we move towards the establishment of the GPhC in 2010.”

The completion of the parliamentary process clears the way for the Pharmacy Order 2010 to go to the Privy Council. Once the Privy Council processes are complete, the GPhC will be able to come into existence as an independent legal entity which is an important step on the road to becoming operational.

Further steps in the process to establish the GPhC are already underway. A series of detailed legislative rules is currently being prepared which will set out clearly how GPhC regulation will operate, and which will work alongside the GPhC’s regulatory standards. The first set of rules for consultation will include: fees, appeals, registration, statutory committees and fitness to practise. A public consultation on the rules will take place, and the rules will then be subject to parliamentary and Privy Council processes, prior to the opening date. Further consultation on the GPhC’s regulatory standards will follow the consideration of responses to the consultation hosted by the CHRE between October 2009 and January 2010.

The GPhC designate is working closely with the Departments of Health in England, Scotland and Wales, and with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB), to make sure the transfer of regulation is well organised. A date for the transfer will be announced as soon as it can be finalised. The timetable is subject to parliamentary and Privy Council processes.