The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has admitted it is impossible to reach its target of closing the vast majority of fitness-to-practise cases within 12 months.

The goal to close 95 per cent of all fitness-to-practise cases within a year was "not evidence-based" and "not possible", the regulatory body said in papers released ahead of its council meeting today (November 13)

Cases closed by an investigating committee lasted for an average of just over 12 months, while those closed at a fitness-to-practise hearing were an average of 18 months old, the GPhC found in a review of cases dating back to May 2012.

Both of these accounted for 14 per cent of all fitness-to-practise cases, and tended to be "more serious in nature", often included third parties and were subject to "lengthy statutory notice periods", it said.

The review had helped the GPhC set "realistic timescales" for the lifespan of each type of case, it said. These ranged from triaging cases within three days to closing fitness-to-practise committee cases within 24 months.

This approach was "consistent with the reporting of other health regulators", the GPhC stressed.

The regulator received an average of 120 cases a month between May and September, with a "peak" in July, it added.

GPhC chief executive Duncan Rudkin unveiled the 12-month target last year. Although the regulator had not met its former target of closing all cases within 15 months, it wanted to "stretch" itself further, he told C+D in an exclusive interview at the time.

In June, the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) found insufficient improvement in the time the GPhC took to decide on fitness-to-practise cases. The watchdog was "disappointed" that three cases due for closure in September 2012 were still open at the start of 2014, it said in its annual performance review of the pharmacy regulator.

	Is the GPhC closing fitness-to-practise cases quickly enough?