The regulator proposed allowing pre-registration technicians “to train under the direction, supervision or guidance of a pharmacy technician or pharmacist” in 2016.

At its council meeting last week (March 8), the GPhC “proposed that the changes come into effect on August 31, 2018, in advance of the 2018-19 academic year”.

August 31 is also the date when “current or recently registered pharmacists in the UK” will no longer be able “to register automatically as a pharmacy technician”, it added.

Pharmacist supervision “undermining”

The GPhC noted last year that feedback from its consultation on education and training standards for pharmacy technicians had shown “strong support” for allowing qualified technicians to supervise their pre-reg colleagues.

Respondents stressed that supervising technicians “should be appropriately trained and experienced”, which the council said at the time that it agreed with.

The GPhC also reported last year that pre-reg technicians had said that “being supervised by their registered peers was the ideal, and having to defer to another profession for their competence to be confirmed was undermining”.