General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) - News updates


Contact centre on 7 March 2024

The contact centre will be closed on the morning of Thursday 7 March for training purposes and will reopen again at 1pm on the same day. During this time please email any enquiries to info@pharmacyregulation.org.

Racism and language barriers in pharmacy – insights and actions following our roundtable events

The General Pharmaceutical Council has published new reports on racism and other inequalities in pharmacy following our roundtable event.

GPhC appoints new Chair of the Board of Assessors

The General Pharmaceutical Council has appointed Dr Mat Smith as the new Chair of the Board of Assessors. The role of the Board of Assessors is to assure the registration assessment, through setting and moderating the question papers. All decisions about questions, papers, candidates and pass marks are made by the board.

Statement on the reclassification of codeine linctus

Commenting on the reclassification of codeine linctus, Roz Gittins, Chief Pharmacy Officer and Deputy Registrar at the GPhC, said: "We welcome the decision by the MHRA to reclassify codeine linctus to a prescription-only medicine.  We think this important change will help to protect public safety. Codeine linctus, which can be used for a dry cough, is well-known to be associated with problematic use.

Reminder to check the registration and identity of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians

We have sent an email reminder to those who employ pharmacy professionals of the importance of checking both registration and identity.  In addition to checking a pharmacist or pharmacy technician is on our register, appropriate identity checks should also be carried out by the employer. These checks need to be undertaken when employing locums as well as permanent pharmacy professionals.

GPhC Council meeting on 22 February 2024

The Council of the GPhC will be meeting on Thursday 22 February. Please contact our Council secretary by 4pm on Wednesday 21 February 2024, if you would like to attend the meeting. 

New GPhC Council members appointed for 2024 and 2025

The Privy Council has appointed five new members to join our governing Council. Professor Dianne Ford, Gareth Powell and Adeyemi (Ade) Williams will begin their terms on 1 April 2024, and Tim Jaggard and Dr Raliat Onatade on 1 April 2025.  The new Council members will replace Jo Kember, Mark Hammond and Arun Midha in 2024 and Elizabeth Mailey and Jayne Salt in 2025. 

Contact centre on 8 February 2024

The contact centre will be closed on the morning of Thursday 8 February for training purposes and will reopen again at 12pm on the same day. During this time please email any enquiries to info@pharmacyregulation.org.  

Safely providing a wider range of services in community pharmacy

As community pharmacies offer a wider range of services, the GPhC has written to pharmacy owners and superintendents to highlight key aspects of the relevant standards in helping to ensure services are provided safely.

New valproate safety and educational materials

New safety and educational materials are now available on the MHRA website including updated guides for patients and healthcare professionals, a patient card and pharmacy poster. These materials support new regulatory measures. From 31 January 2024: