The Pharmacy Order 2010

Education, training and acquisition of experience

42.—(1) In connection with its general function under article 4(3)(e), in so far as that function relates to the education, training and acquisition of experience of registrants and prospective registrants, the Council must—

(a) except in the case of persons who are appropriately qualified by virtue of article 21(1)(b) or (c) or article 22(1)(b), set the standards of proficiency for the safe and effective practice of pharmacy which it is necessary for a person to achieve in order to be entered in Part 1 or 2 of the Register as a pharmacist or, as the case may be, a pharmacy technician; and

(b) set—

(i) the standards of education, training and experience that providers of education and training must meet in order to enable a person undertaking such education or training, or acquiring such experience, to achieve the standards referred to in sub-paragraph (a) having regard, in particular, to the outcomes to be achieved, and

(ii) any requirements to be satisfied for admission to, and continued participation in, education and training for prospective pharmacists or prospective pharmacy technicians, which may include requirements as to fitness to practise unimpaired by health.

(2) The Council must publish the standards and requirements set under this article, as they exist from time to time, in such manner as it considers appropriate.

(3) The Council must—

(a) ensure that all providers in Great Britain concerned with the education and training of prospective pharmacists and prospective pharmacy technicians are notified of the standards and requirements set under paragraph (1)(b)(i) and (ii); and

(b) take appropriate steps to satisfy itself that those standards and requirements are met.

(4) The Council may—

(a) approve, or arrange with others to approve, courses of education or training which the Council is satisfied confer, or would confer, on persons completing them successfully the standards of proficiency referred to in paragraph (1)(a);

(b) approve, or arrange with others to approve, such other courses of education or training as the Council considers appropriate;

(c) approve, or arrange with others to approve, qualifications which are granted following success in an examination, or some other assessment, taken as part of an approved course;

(d) approve, or arrange with others to approve, such tests of competence, or tests of proficiency in the knowledge and use of English, as the Council may require; or

(e) approve, or arrange with others to approve—

(i) institutions,

(ii) other providers, including tutors,

of postgraduate education and training which leads to an approved qualification, if the Council considers that they are properly organised and equipped for conducting the whole or part of an approved course;

(f) approve, or arrange with others to approve, premises as being suitable for postgraduate education and training which leads to an approved qualification.

(5) In connection with paragraph (4), the Council may approve, or arrange with others to approve—

(a) a course of education or training run outside Great Britain which is intended to lead to an approved qualification;

(b) an institution or other provider of a course of education or training to which sub-paragraph (a) refers.

(6) The Council must publish a statement of—

(a) the criteria by reference to which the standards of education, training and experience referred to in paragraph (1)(b)(i) are set; and

(b) the criteria that will be taken into account in deciding whether to grant approval under paragraph (4),

as they exist from time to time.

(7) The Council must publish and maintain a list of the courses of education and training, qualifications and institutions or other providers (including tutors)—

(a) which are for the time being approved under this Order; or

(b) which have been approved under this Order but which are no longer so approved,

together with a record of the periods in respect of which approval was given.

(8) References in this Part to an approved course of education and training, an approved qualification, an approved test or an approved institution or other provider are references to such a course, qualification, test, institution or other provider approved under paragraph (4).