Candidates who sat the March 17-18 registration assessment will receive their results by 9am on April 29, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) wrote in an email to employers today (April 15).

Prov-regs who pass the GPhC assessment will remain on the provisional register until they complete their application to join the register as a pharmacist.

However, those who failed the March assessment will be removed from the provisional register, the GPhC said.

“We realise this will be very disappointing for the people who do not pass,” GPhC director of education and standards Mark Voce wrote in the email.

The GPhC did consider whether prov-regs should be able to continue working as such “for a short period of time after receiving their result”, Mr Voce said.

However, the regulator ultimately decided that it would not “be reasonable to expect them to continue in that capacity as they deal with the immediate impact of the news and do not believe it would be in the best interests of patient safety given the objective evidence that they have not, as yet, passed the assessment”.  

Advice for employers

Mr Voce said the GPhC recognises this policy will have an impact on employers, if any of the prov-regs working for them “are not successful in this sitting”.

“We would suggest you discuss working arrangements with any prov-reg pharmacists you employ for 29 April and thereafter, for example scheduling the day off and/or arranging appropriate cover,” Mr Voce said.

The GPhC has also encouraged employers to consider if they can continue to employ those who were unsuccessful at passing the registration exam, by asking them to cover a different role.

“We recognise the challenges for employers, and we are grateful to everyone for their support in making these arrangements,” Mr Voce added.

C+D reported today that Well is offering a paid day off to its provisionally registered pharmacists who are expecting their GPhC registration exam results on April 29, while Lloydspharmacy is encouraging their prov-regs to book their annual leave on April 29.