GPhC opens consultation on new training route for internationally qualified pharmacists

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has launched a public consultation on major proposed changes to the education and training route for internationally qualified pharmacists seeking registration in Great Britain.

The regulator is proposing to replace the current two‑year pathway for pharmacists who qualified outside the EEA, EFTA and Switzerland with a streamlined, integrated one‑year programme combining academic learning and learning in practice. The new model is designed to reflect modern pharmacy practice and enable candidates to sit the Common Registration Assessment sooner.

Under the proposals, the revised route would:

• Replace the existing postgraduate diploma plus foundation training year with a single integrated year
• Embed independent prescribing training, aligning with the GPhC’s 2021 initial education and training standards
• Recognise relevant prior learning and professional experience where appropriate
• Introduce updated learning outcomes and provider requirements
• Continue to require all applicants to pass the Common Registration Assessment to ensure consistency with UK‑qualified pharmacists

The GPhC says the new approach focuses on ensuring internationally qualified pharmacists can apply their existing knowledge and skills safely and effectively within Great Britain’s healthcare systems, without duplicating learning unnecessarily. Embedding independent prescribing would also mean pharmacists could prescribe from the point of registration, supporting multidisciplinary care from day one.

GPhC Chief Executive Kathie Cashell said the proposals aim to balance recognition of existing expertise with the need to ensure candidates are fully prepared for practice in Great Britain. She encouraged pharmacists, employers, education providers and the public to respond to the consultation.

The consultation is open until 21 July 2026, with full details and supporting documents available on the GPhC website.

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