4.—(1) There is to be a body corporate known as the General Pharmaceutical Council (“the Council”).
(2) The Council is to be constituted as provided for by an order of the Privy Council made under this article subject to the provisions of Schedule 1 to this Order.
(3) The principal functions of the Council are—
(a)to establish and maintain a register of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and premises at which a retail pharmacy business is, or is to be, carried on;
(b)to set and promote standards for the safe and effective practice of pharmacy at registered pharmacies;
(c)to set requirements by reference to which registrants must demonstrate that their fitness to practise is not impaired;
(d)to promote the safe and effective practice of pharmacy by registrants (including, for example, by reference to any code of conduct for, and ethics relating to, pharmacy);
(e)to set standards and requirements in respect of the education, training, acquisition of experience and continuing professional development that it is necessary for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to achieve in order to be entered in the Register or to receive an annotation in the Register and to maintain competence; and
(f)to ensure the continued fitness to practise of registrants.
(4) The Council has the functions conferred on it by this Order and such other functions as may be conferred on it by the Privy Council by order.
(5) Before making an order under paragraph (4), the Privy Council must consult the Council.
(6) The Council must have the following committees—
(a)the Investigating Committee;
(b)the Fitness to Practise Committee; and
(c)the Appeals Committee,
and each of those committees has the functions assigned to it by or under this Order.
(7) The Council may establish such other committees as it considers appropriate in connection with the discharge of its functions and may delegate any of its functions to them, except any power to make rules.
(8) Schedule 1 makes further provision about the Council, its committees, its staff, its publications and its accounts.
Commencement Information
I1Art. 4(1)(2)(3)(b)(5)(8) in force at 11.2.2010 in so far as not already in force, see art. 1(2)(b)
I2Art. 4 in force at 10.2.2010 for specified purposes, see art. 1(3)
I3Art. 4(3)(a), (c)-(f), (4)(6)(7) in force at 27.9.2010 in so far as not already in force by S.I. 2010/1621, art. 2(1), Sch.