The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has received instruction by the UK Government to close its temporary Covid-19 register in March 2024.
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The temporary register was set up in 2020 when the GPhC used its emergency powers to register pharmacy professionals rapidly in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A stipulation for pharmacy professionals registered on a temporary basis is that they must be working or volunteering in response to Covid-19.
The decision by the government to close the list means pharmacy professionals on the temporary register can continue to practise until the end of March next year.
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Those who do not want to continue to work as a pharmacist or pharmacy technician after that time will see their temporary registration closed automatically on 1 April 2024.
The GPhC has advised that pharmacy professionals who want to practise as a pharmacist or pharmacy technician from 1 April 2024 onwards, or are currently intending to practise in a role that is not directly related to Covid-19, will need to prepare a detailed portfolio before applying to return to the register.
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