The RPSGB ceased to exist in relation to regulation of the profession in 2010. This was as a result of government policy – Trust, Assurance and Safety – regarding health care professional regulation, prompted by the failure of professional regulation following a series of incidents concerning various health care professionals.
Under the new arrangements, the GPhC takes on the registration requirements for the profession; this includes the registration of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy premises. The pharmacy inspectorate transferred to this new organization which is responsible to the Department of Health.
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Healthcare free at the point of delivery has not always been the right of every person born in the UK. It was only just over 60 years ago that such a privilege was given to all. The NHS started across the whole of the UK (England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) in July 1948.
Although it was established at the same time throughout the UK there are in fact three separate health services – those for England and Wales, for Scotland and for Northern Ireland – each established by different pieces of legislation. This chapter will focus primarily on the NHS as it works in England and Wales with some reference to the differences in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Reference to the NHS will generally mean England and Wales, but if Scotland or Northern Ireland is meant these will be referred to as NHS Scotland or NHS NI.
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The Health Act 2006 has had a considerable impact on the practice of pharmacy through enabling legislation to bring about the appointment of accountable officers and the responsible pharmacist role. It is likely to result in the introduction of further legislation that will affect pharmacy practice.
The legal framework to move the regulation of pharmacy from the RPSGB to the General Pharmaceutical Council in 2010 is set out in Pharmacy and Pharmacy Technicians Order 2009.
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Since July 2006 in England and Scotland and January 2007 in Wales any private prescription for a schedule 2 or 3 drug to be dispensed in a community pharmacy must be written on a standardized prescription form. In England this is called an FP10PCD, in Scotland a PPCD(1) and in Wales a WP10PCD or WP10PCDSS.
Once dispensed the pharmacy will keep a copy of the prescription for its own records but must submit the original to the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) in order to monitor controlled drug prescribing nationally in the wake of the actions of Dr Harold Shipman. This requirement, along with many other recent amendments to the Controlled Drug Regulations 2001, was made in the report of the Shipman inquiry.
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