The Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has removed 10 pharmacists from its register “due to CPD statutory non-compliance”, it has revealed.
All 10 pharmacists were removed earlier this week (August 13), the regulator said.
It added that the non-compliance was “relating to the CPD year 2023/24”.
The specific actions of each pharmacist, whose names can be found on the PSNI website, are not detailed.
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A PSNI spokesperson told C+D that the regulator cannot discuss details of any individual case but stressed that its CPD framework provides a clear guide to how pharmacists can comply with their obligation to complete the required minimum hours of CPD annually.
They added that the PSNI is "delighted that practically all of the pharmacists registered with [it] have complied with the requirements to submit their CPD portfolios for the 2023/24 period, demonstrating their commitment to maintaining the highest standards of practice throughout the profession".
“Failed to comply”
The regulator said that the ten removals have been “processed under regulation 3(2)b of ‘The Council of the PSNI (CPD) regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012”.
The regulations lay out the rules for when a pharmacist has “failed to comply with the requirements or conditions of the CPD framework” or for when a pharmacist “has made a false declaration about compliance with the requirements or conditions of the CPD framework”.
Read more: Revalidation under review: GPhC hires consultants to 'develop framework'
They stress that the PSNI can decide to “remove the registered person's name from the register”.
But they can also choose to “impose...a requirement to take one or more remedial measures in connection with the registered person's CPD” or to “remove an annotation in respect of a specialist area of practice recorded against the registered person's name in the register” - if a registrant submits a CPD portfolio that fails to meet necessary standards.
Read more: UPDATED: GPhC extends revalidation deadline over ‘technical issues’
Earlier this week, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) announced it has hired consultants and is conducting a survey to help it review “the revalidation process and framework”.
It stressed that “there will be no changes introduced before June 2025 and any new proposals will be consulted on fully”.
In 2017, the GPhC dropped the number of CPD entries that pharmacy professionals have to submit as part of revalidation from nine to four.
