The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has proposed that it undertakes more regular quality assurance checks of education and training providers amid changes to the pharmacist and pharmacy technician professions.

Changes suggested by the pharmacy regulator would include looking into how trainees are learning from other professions – such as student pharmacists undertaking independent prescribing training.

The regulator also said it wanted to identify and address concerns in a more timely manner by using data, annual monitoring and flexible intervention mechanisms.

And it proposed that it should set out the criteria and clear lines of responsibility for deciding whether a course or qualification should be re-approved.

The proposals will be open for consultation for 10 weeks, until 13 June 2024.

It comes as some within the pharmacy sector have expressed concerns about the training and education of pharmacy technicians as they are set to take on more responsibilities, including supplying medicines under patient group directions (PGDs).

Changes are also being made to the pharmacist profession, with independent prescribing being incorporated into the MPharm degree so that all new UK-educated pharmacists will join the register with a prescribing qualification from 2026.

GPhC chief strategy officer and deputy registrar, Mark Voce, said: ‘Pharmacy education and training sets a foundation for the knowledge, skills, understanding and professional behaviours a pharmacy student must demonstrate in order to become fully qualified and join the professional register.

‘As such it is vital that we check that training providers are meeting our standards through a quality assurance process. By doing this we are ensuring trainees are getting the right level of education to become competent practitioners of the future.

‘The changes we are proposing will help us identify issues more effectively, act more quickly if necessary and be fairer to all providers.’

And he encouraged ‘those with an interest in pharmacy education’ to take part in the consultation.