Pharmacists who have been off the register for more than a year will now need to submit evidence proving they are fit to practise before they can rejoin, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has said.

Pharmacy professionals who wish to return to practice will have to submit a "portfolio of evidence" showing that they meet the GPhC's standards of conduct, ethics and performance, under the regulator's new policy announced today (October 16).

GPhC chief executive Duncan Rudkin said the new system was "robust and fair"	More on GPhC guidance GPhC warns medical tests could delay fitness-       to-practise cases GPhC premises regulations could force closures RPS attacks GPhC plans for P med self-selection
	The portfolio will be assessed by "expert evaluators" and will not incur any extra charge, says the GPhC. The new policy follows the GPhC council meeting last month when it was noted it was "no longer appropriate" to rely on the transitional arrangements, which could see some applicants take an "essentially passive route" to returning to practice.

The new system would be more consistent and offer a "robust and fair" way of checking pharmacy professionals' "knowledge is up to date and they are fit to practise", said GPhC chief executive Duncan Rudkin.

In a survey of 63 pharmacists, eight of whom had completed evidence portfolios, the GPhC found there was support for the policy. All respondents said the portfolios helped them to "reflect on the skills and knowledge that were needed", but there was a more mixed reaction to the guidance given, with some calling for more clarity, according to the survey.