The Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said the standards were being developed in response to legislative changes introduced through The Pharmacy (Preparation and Dispensing Errors – Hospital and Other Pharmacy Services) Order 2022, which amended the Medicines Act 1968.
Those changes provided the PSNI with the power to define the responsibilities of chief pharmacists and set standards of conduct and performance.
It launched a public consultation this week (7 Aug) which will run until 2 October 2025.
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The PSNI said it would welcome “all views on the proposals” and encouraged “all interested parties” to take part via the consultation page.
The PSNI also highlighted that the legislation also extends the legal defences available to pharmacy professionals “in the event of inadvertent preparation and dispensing errors, provided that appropriate governance arrangements” are in place.
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It said these include “clear lines of accountability and defined responsibilities” for chief pharmacists and said the proposed standards are “intended to support these governance requirements and help ensure that pharmacy professionals are protected where robust systems are in place”.
