CQC to ‘pick up’ regulation of pharmacists prescribing from home

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is set to take over the regulation of businesses where pharmacists are not working from registered premises. This decision addresses a regulatory gap, as the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) currently regulates pharmacy premises, pharmacists, and technicians, but not the businesses themselves. 

This change particularly affects online prescribing and small independent companies operating from non-registered locations like homes or office spaces. The regulatory gap is already covered in Wales and Scotland. The GPhC has faced challenges in meeting timely processing standards for fitness-to-practise cases.

GPhC chief pharmacy officer and deputy registrar Roz Gittens is reported to have said:

“The plan is that the CQC will absorb that part – so this is where we’ve got pharmacists who are not working from a registered premises.

“This is where they may be setting up from a home [or] office space, whatever that may look like, but are providing clinics – typically they’re small independent companies.

“It may just be that individual [so] they would still be regulated by us as an individual, but that business…our intention is the CQC will pick that up when it comes to England,” she told delegates.“

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