Late summer is a busy time of year for the GPhC who expect approximately 10,000 pharmacists alone to renew their registration in October. Are you one of these pharmacists? Here are some helpful reminders to ensure that your renewal goes smoothly.

Make sure you have all your revalidation evidence ready for submission

Revalidation is an important part of the renewal process. You will need to submit the following records:

• four CPD entries, at least two of which should be planned learning activities
• one reflective account
• one peer discussion.

The GPhC does not give a suggested word limit, but noticed in its research that entries that met the requirements tended to be around 400 words long. You can record your CPD throughout the year, but it must be ready in time for submission two months before your renewal deadline.

Late and/or partial submission of records

You can request an extension or a reduction in the number of records you need to submit if you have a good reason. Extensions and/or reductions in the number of records submitted can only be given for breaks of less than twelve months. Good reasons can include a serious medical condition or maternity leave. In these circumstances it might still be possible to renew a registration without the relevant revalidation records. The GPhC has a revalidation extenuating circumstances request process built into MyGPhC. Generally, the GPhC will not reduce the number of records for breaks of less than three months, in these instances they are more likely to grant an extension.

Requests for extensions and/or reductions in the number of records submitted are dealt with on a case-by-case basis. You can find out more about extensions on the GPhC website.

Something to declare?

Do not wait until you are renewing if you have something to declare. You must notify the GPhC of any such change within seven days from the day the change occurred by completing an online fitness to practise declaration. Complete an online health declaration if you are declaring a health related matter.

If you have something to declare, you might want to seek legal advice prior to filling in the form. You can get advice from your trade union. If you are not a member of a trade union and require further help, you can contact us on info@pharmacistsupport.org for more information about finding legal advice.

If you are unsure about declaring a health condition to the GPhC, you can also seek advice from your GP, or any other appropriate health care professional as to whether your condition will impact on your fitness to practise.

Struggling to pay your registration fees?

You could set up a direct debit and pay in four equal quarterly instalments rather than having to pay the whole amount at once. If you would like to set up quarterly instalments, you will need to complete a direct debit mandate form. You can download the form here from the GPhC website. Do make sure that you tick the box marked ‘staged payment’ rather than ‘single payment’. The deadline for setting up a quarterly payment is different to your renewal date. The deadline for setting up a direct debit will be on your renewal notice. Send your direct debit mandate form to registers@pharmacyregulation.org You can find out more about setting up a direct debit payment on the GPhC website.

Once the GPhC receives your form they will send you an email notice to confirm that your direct debit has been set up. They will also send a payment schedule to show the payments and the date(s) they will take them. The notice will also give you a new deadline by which you must make your renewal declarations. If you do not complete your declarations in time, the direct debit will not be collected, and you will need to make your full registration payment using a debit or credit card.

All set to renew?

Once you have submitted your revalidation records you will be ready to renew your registration. You will need to use your myGPhC account to renew your registration. When you have logged in you should:

• Check that all your contact details are correct
• Make your fitness to practise declarations
• Pay your renewal fee (unless you have arranged to pay by direct debit)
• Collect your receipt – if you are paying in instalments your receipt will be adjusted each time you make a quarterly payment.

Find out more about revalidation

Pharmacist Support Wellbeing Workshops

As part of our Wardley Wellbeing Service, you can access a range of wellbeing workshops. Upon completion of a workshop, you will receive a certificate which can then be used as part of your revalidation process. You will need to log the workshop in your CPD entry, and demonstrate what you have learned and how this knowledge has helped with patients.

These wellbeing workshops have been developed with pharmacy in mind. They’re packed with information, tools and techniques to help you recognise the signs and symptoms of stress and deal with everyday pressures. You can access the workshops as part of group training through your employer, or individual training for free on our Wellbeing Learning Platform. 

Find out more about our Wardley Wellbeing Service