The result of the common registration assessment for pharmacists, held jointly by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and Pharmaceutical Society of
Northern Ireland (PSNI), have been published with an overall pass rate of 80 per cent.
A total of 2,697 candidates sat the registration assessment in four countries on 29 June and 2,147 candidates passed the assessment.
This summer's pass rate has fallen to 80 per cent compared with the 82 per cent pass rate for the summer 2021 registration assessment, and the 61 per cent pass rate
for the Autumn 2021 registration assessment.
GPhC chief executive Duncan Rudkin said: "We would like to congratulate the successful candidates and we look forward to them joining our register and continuing to
the next stage of their career.
"However, we appreciate that the June registration assessment was a difficult and stressful experience for many - and we are extremely sorry about the problems
faced by a number of candidates on the day.
"For those who did not pass, there is a guide on our website [PDF 255 KB] outlining all the options that may be available, such as provisional registration and
the right to appeal. There are also links to organisations and resources that can provide support with mental health and wellbeing.
Eighty-one per cent of the National Pharmacy Association cohort of trainee pharmacists passed the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)'s common registration assessment which took place in June.
The NPA's team of learning and development pharmacists helped students prepare for the assessment with study days and mock exams.
Celebrating the success of trainee pharmacists, it said: "The 81 per cent NPA pass rate reflected the comprehensive blended learning experience delivered by the
NPA's team of learning and development pharmacists and that we were able to resume face-to-face study days for this cohort after the restrictions of lockdowns."
Last month, the GPhC and Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI) published result of the common registration assessment for pharmacists with an overall
pass rate of 80 per cent.
A total of 2,697 candidates sat the registration assessment in four countries on 29 June and 2,147 candidates passed the assessment.
A total of 525 candidates have passed the common registration assessment for pharmacists held in November, the regulators GPhC and PSNI have announced on
Tuesday.
With 937 candidates sitting for the registration assessment, held jointly by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and Pharmaceutical Society of Northern
Ireland (PSNI) on 3 November, the pass rate was 56 per cent, down from the 61 per cent for the Autumn 2021.
Among the GPhC candidates, 59 per cent were sitting for the first time, 30 per cent for the second time and 8 per cent for the third time. (The break-up was not
available for the 3 per cent PSNI candidates.)
In comparison, for the June sitting 89 per cent of candidates were sitting for the first time, 7 per cent were sitting for the second time and 4 per cent were
sitting for the third time.
"We would like to congratulate the successful candidates and we look forward to them joining our register and continuing to the next stage of their career,"
Duncan Rudkin, GPhC chief executive said.
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has revealed it has received 25 whistleblowing disclosures between April 2021 and March 2022.
The pharmacy regulator said, in its annual report, that it has concluded enquiries on 22 disclosures so far with a further three still under review.
"We also concluded two qualifying disclosures that were raised during the previous reporting period," it said, adding: "The action GPhC took included a full
investigation through established fitness to practise processes and follow-up action through its inspection network.
"The former can result in any available outcome throughout the fitness to practise process. The latter can include guidance, a follow-up visit or an unexpected
inspection."
12 concerns were investigated and concluded with no further action. Three were signposted to another organisation. The remaining seven cases were concluded by
sharing information with inspection colleagues for follow up action.
Of the two concerns from the previous reporting period, one was concluded with no further action and the other remains under investigation.
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has made the its 'Education revision programme' accessible for new registrations who are preparing for the GPhC/PSNI
November 2022 assessment.
The programme offers a wide range of practice calculations questions, some mock exams, practical tips on revision, and an opportunity to chat to other PDA members
who are preparing to sit the assessment.
PDA's charity partners, Pharmacist Support also offer a range of options including- Counselling and peer support; Financial support; A listening friend service and
Addiction support.
Candidates can also access the Wardley Wellbeing Service here. This is a resource to help candidates to prioritise their mental, physical and emotional health
through individual and group training.
The PDA has also reminded all candidates that there have been some changes made by the GPhC to address problems that occurred in the June 2022 sitting.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has called for action on differential degree awarding and registration assessment attainment gaps for Black trainees
in initial pharmacy education and training.
According to a new report published by the RPS on Tuesday (6 February), there's a pharmacy degree awarding gap of eight per cent and a registration assessment
attainment gap of over 22 per cent between Black and White trainees.
The variation in pharmacy attainment for Black trainees was first recorded by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) in 2013, and the Pharmaceutical Journal
has been tracking the awarding gap at undergraduate level.
Even after a decade, significant differences exist in the awarding and attainment gaps for Black students and trainees compared to their White counterparts, the
report said.