If you have a question about revalidation, we’re here to help. Find the answers to the most common questions below.
Revalidation is a requirement that every pharmacist and pharmacy technician needs to complete each year to be able to remain registered and continue to practise. It’s a process that involves reflecting on your work and striving to continually develop. It’s one of the ways that we work with you to strengthen public confidence and trust in pharmacies. It also helps you to:
keep your professional skills and knowledge up to date
reflect on your practice
continually develop
show how you provide safe and effective care
reach the standards required
The requirement to complete revalidation is set out in the rules made under the Pharmacy Order 2010.
You should be thinking about carrying out and recording revalidation activities as part of your everyday work.
You might find it helpful to note your revalidation activities throughout the year, rather than all at once. You can record them in myGPhC or note them elsewhere and then transfer them to myGPhC to submit them.
When you renew your registration each year, you must be ready to submit your records.
You need to carry out and record four CPD records, a peer discussion record and a reflective account record when you renew your registration.
Sometimes there are reasons why you might not be able to submit some or all your revalidation records when you renew.
Serious illness, maternity leave or breaks in practice might mean that you have periods of three months or more when you haven’t been practising or recording your revalidation activity.
If you think you won’t be able to submit some or all your revalidation records because of a break in practice, it’s important you tell us as soon as possible through myGPhC. Don’t wait until your renewal is due. You’ll need to provide evidence about the reasons and consider if a deadline extension or a record reduction will help.
If you request a submission deadline extension, you’ll need to be able to submit a full record by the date you propose.
You can request a reduction in the number of entries that you’re required to submit. If you have worked for any period over three months in the previous year, we expect you to submit a minimum of one planned CPD entry and one completed reflective account as your revalidation record.
Long periods of holiday or intermittent part time locum work don’t count as exceptional circumstances. You’ll need to complete and submit a full revalidation record to cover this time.
You should reflect on one or more of the standards below when renewing your registration:
Standard one: Pharmacy professionals must provide person-centred care
Standard two: Pharmacy professionals must work in partnership with others
Standard five: Pharmacy professionals must use their professional judgement
You only need to cover the standards for your reflective account; you don’t need to reflect on these standards for your four CPD records or for your peer discussion.
When you describe where you work, you should do this without identifying it by name. For example, instead of referring to NHS England, describe it as a ‘commissioning body’. Or instead of using the trading or company name of the pharmacy, describe what type of pharmacy it is, such as ‘a branch of a large multiple pharmacy’ or ‘an independent city-centre pharmacy’.
In your reflective account, you’ll need to include a brief description of your area of work, such as the type of practice you do and your main roles, and who the typical people using your services are. You’ll also need to give real examples to show how you meet the standards.
Have a look at our revalidation resources and our examples page, where you’ll find ideas for topics to focus on, examples of completed revalidation records and the standards to highlight in your reflective account. There’s also a list of other organisations that provide resources and support.
We recommend that you continue to carry out and record revalidation if you plan to continue as a pharmacist or pharmacy technician, even if you aren’t currently able to practise. This will help to keep your skills up to date and it could be used to decide on your future ability to practice.
You’ll be notified through myGPhC. The review will be carried out jointly by a pharmacy professional and a lay reviewer, who is someone who is not a healthcare professional and uses pharmacy services. They will both receive anonymised copies of your records.
The two trained reviewers work together, using the criteria set out in the revalidation framework to review all the records in your submission and produce a feedback report.
It can take up to six weeks to receive your feedback. When it’s ready, you’ll receive a notification and it’ll be available to read through your myGPhC account.
If your records are selected for review and you meet the review criteria, we won’t review your records again for the next two years.
Your peer discussion should be an open and honest conversation with someone you trust and respect. Your peer can be anyone who understands your practice.
You and your peer don’t have to be based in the UK and your discussion can take place in person, over the phone, on video call or webchat.
You’ll need to check that your peer is happy to be named in your record and contacted to confirm that the discussion took place if your records are selected for review.
You should tell us on myGPhC if you think you aren’t going to be able to meet the revalidation requirement.
You may have a good reason for not being able to submit your records, such as taking sick or maternity leave, going on a military posting or taking a break from practice.
Based on the explanation and evidence you give us, we may ask you to submit fewer records or give you more time to complete them.
You can start making entries for your next annual revalidation submission as soon as you have successfully submitted your current revalidation records for review.
By doing this it’s likely you’ll have a complete revalidation record ready as soon as you receive your next renewal notification. This also means you’ll have plenty of time to find a peer and hold your peer discussion.
You must provide evidence which helps to explain:
what the issue is that affected you and when it happened
the length of time you were affected
For example, if you’re making a request because you have been on maternity leave, upload a copy of your MAT B1 form and your child’s birth certificate. This shows how long you weren’t working and when this took place.
If you’ve been unable to work for significant periods of time because of illness, you could submit a medical report from your doctor to show when you were unable to work. If you have evidence of admission and discharge from hospital, this will also show when and for how long you weren’t able to work.
You must submit your revalidation record as well as renew your registration each year by paying the registration fee and declaring that you’re fit to practice.
As part of your renewal, you must confirm that you agree with the following declaration:
"I declare that I am currently carrying out and recording revalidation activities, and will continue to do so, in line with the GPhC’s standards and framework for revalidation and the standards for pharmacy professionals. I confirm that I will provide or have already provided my annual submission of revalidation records to the GPhC by my registration renewal date."
We recommend that you submit your record as soon your renewal window opens in myGPhC to make sure you don’t forget to submit it when you renew.
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