Regulator opens consultation on one-year route to registration for overseas pharmacists

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has published a consultation on proposals that would allow internationally qualified pharmacists register to practise in Great Britain after a one-year postgraduate diploma.

In a consultation document published on 28 April 2026, the regulator said that pharmacists who qualified outside European Economic Area countries or Switzerland would be able to take the year-long programme of integrated academic learning and learning in practice before sitting the GPhC’s common registration assessment.

Currently, internationally qualified pharmacists need to complete two years of education and training in Great Britain before they can apply to register with the GPhC. They must first undertake the Overseas Pharmacists’ Assessment Programme, then complete one year of foundation training, before sitting the registration assessment.

Under the new proposals, pharmacists will apply directly to a university, which will design, manage and run all aspects of the programme, including learning in practice.

Independent prescribing training will be included in the diploma, with the same minimum 90 hours of ‘learning in practice’ dedicated to independent prescribing as for UK-trained pharmacists who joined the register before 2026.

The consultation document added that the present route for overseas pharmacists to practise in Great Britain is at least twice as long as most equivalent routes in other countries and those for other regulated healthcare professionals in Great Britain.

“Also, the present route does not allow providers to take account of relevant prior pharmacy education, training and experience, including experience that may have been gained in Great Britain,” it said.

“This review also allows us to make sure the education and training for internationally qualified pharmacists continues to reflect up-to-date pharmacy practice and responds to the changing needs of the healthcare systems across Great Britain.”

In its consultation document, the regulator noted that it had considered routes to registration for overseas-qualified pharmacists based on examination-only — or a period in practice with an assessment by a mentor — but had decided against both.

The GPhC announced in August 2024 that it would produce proposals to shorten the route for overseas-qualified pharmacists to practice in Great Britain, and in council papers discussed at its March 2026 meeting, the regulator produced more detail.

Kathie Cashell, chief executive of the GPhC, said: “We believe these proposals strike the right balance between recognising existing skills and knowledge, and making sure internationally qualified pharmacists are fully prepared for practice in Great Britain.

“By streamlining the route and embedding the right training, we can help internationally qualified pharmacists be ready to sit the common registration assessment and join the register sooner, with all the capabilities they need to deliver high-quality patient care from day one.”

A spokesperson for the Royal College of Pharmacy said it would respond to the consultation.

The consultation closes on 21 July 2026.