Revalidation for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians will start on March 30, 2018, the General Pharmaceutical Council has announced.

From February onwards, all registrants will receive information and guidance explaining what they need to do and when by, but the requirement is for four CPD records, a peer discussion record and a reflective account to be submitted each year. Each should focus on how what has been done has benefited patients, to ensure that the revalidation process is centred on improving care.

The final framework is expected to be published in the next few weeks, once the regulator has strengthened the guidance within this document in response to feedback received during the consultation process.

The GPhC has stated its commitment to working collaboratively with other pharmacy organisations throughout implementation, particularly in terms of supporting pharmacists and pharmacy technicians with the peer discussion element, and will evaluate its approach once it has gone live to better grasp its impact and how it should evolve.

GPhC chairman Nigel Clark said: “We believe the introduction of revalidation will further assure users of pharmacy services that pharmacy professionals will provide them with safe and effective care throughout their careers.”

Lord Kirkwood, who chaired the regulator’s revalidation advisory group, commented: “I urge pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to embrace this important change for the benefits it can bring to themselves and the people using their services.”

APTUK president Tess Fenn added that the move provided “an important opportunity for pharmacy technicians to demonstrate the safe and effective care that they are already delivering directly for patients and the public”.

The GPhC has been working on what form revalidation should take for three years and the profession has not been shy in participating in the process. Over 2,400 individuals took part in the 40-plus listening events that took place across Great Britain and there were over 1,800 responses to the consultation.