The new GPhC acceptance criteria clarify what concerns may be referred for an investigation into an individual’s fitness to practise or considered for potential inspection or enforcement action.
It comes after the GPhC received more than 7,500 concerns last year – the highest number in the regulator’s history.
The updated approach is designed not only to strengthen patient safety and transparency, but also to reduce the number of concerns received that fall outside the GPhC’s regulatory remit.
Helping the public and professionals understand when the GPhC should be involved
The new criteria provide greater transparency regarding the types of concerns the GPhC can and cannot act upon. They also aim to reduce inappropriate or misdirected concerns by helping the public and pharmacy teams better understand:
- which matters genuinely raise questions about fitness to practise
- what the standards for registered pharmacies are and when they are not met
- when the GPhC is required to step in to protect patient safety or uphold public confidence
Dionne Spence, Chief Enforcement Officer at the General Pharmaceutical Council, said:
“These updated criteria provide more clarity about which concerns fall within our remit, improving transparency and strengthening our risk-based approach.
“By improving understanding of when we need to be involved and when we don’t, we expect to reduce avoidable concerns and focus our regulatory effort where it makes the greatest difference to patient safety and public trust.
“We have also made our webpage on reporting concerns easier to understand, so anyone with a concern can direct it to the right place where it can be dealt with as effectively as possible.”