The GPhC said the consultation, which also proposes new rules for responsible pharmacists, will “strengthen pharmacy governance”.
It is proposing two additions to the standards for registered pharmacies: to add “any other product intended for supply or administration” to principle 4 of the standards, and to introduce a standard on consent.
And it is also producing a draft annex to the existing standards for pharmacy professionals that will set out the standards expected of pharmacists if they decide to authorise pharmacy technicians to carry out certain tasks, and what pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are accountable, and responsible, for if authorisation or supervision take place.
Broad issues
The regulator said it is seeking views “on a variety of broad issues”, including whether it “should set additional minimum requirements” for a pharmacist to become a superintendent pharmacist, and whether minimum requirements should be established for a pharmacist to become a responsible pharmacist.
It is also asking questions on “specific issues” including whether it should continue with the present “one pharmacy” rule that dictates a responsible pharmacist “can only be responsible for one pharmacy premises at any given time”.
Read more: ‘Robust procedures’ needed before supervision reforms in 21 days
The five standards the GPhC has proposed for superintendent pharmacists are:
- Provide strategic and professional leadership
- Develop a workforce with the right skills, knowledge and experience
- Delegate responsibly and make sure there are clear lines of accountability
- Maintain and strengthen governance to ensure safe and effective delivery of pharmacy services
- Make sure the pharmacy environment and premises safeguard the health, safety and wellbeing of patients and the public
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And the proposed new standards for responsible pharmacists are:
- Prioritise patient safety
- Provide the leadership and management needed to ensure the safe and effective operation of the pharmacy
- Make sure, if using authorisation, to authorise responsibly and make clear the lines of
- accountability
- Maintain and strengthen governance to ensure safe and effective delivery of pharmacy services
Read more: ‘Many’ pharmacists against supervision reforms, DH admits
The GPhC said the new drafted rules for responsible pharmacists detail “specific requirements relating to their duty to secure the safe and effective running of a pharmacy business at the premises from which it is carried on”.
They include “the maximum period the responsible pharmacist may be absent from the premises during the pharmacy’s business hours”, proposed as up to two hours, and “the arrangements that must be made if the responsible pharmacist is absent”, it added.
The consultation is open from December 17 to March 25, 2026.
Read more: ‘Common-sense’: DH publishes draft supervision legislation
It comes after the GPhC revealed last week that pharmacists - when “absent or treated as absent” - will be able to “authorise” pharmacy technicians to hand out “checked and bagged prescriptions”, starting on January 7, 2026.
The changes are part of the government’s plans to reform community pharmacy supervision, which the Department of Health and Social Care (DH) published draft legislation for in July.
And the PDA has since called for a “mandated requirement” that all pharmacy owners have “robust procedures” in place before implementing “absent-authorisation provision” next month.
