Regulator plans policy overhaul on disqualification powers

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has announced intentions to drop disqualification cases against a “limited number” of pharmacy owners.

On 21 July 2025, the regulator revealed plans to develop a policy on its use of disqualification powers.

As part of this process, the GPhC reviewed open disqualification cases and found a small number where pharmacy owners had removed all associated premises from the register since proceedings began.

The GPhC said it would no longer pursue these cases, since it would “not be in the public interest” owing to the lack of pharmacy premises, and there is no risk to the public.

It added that it would have to use “significant resource” to hold the hearings, and it holds information on the pharmacy owners that can be considered in future registration decisions, which can be used to support potential refusals “to allow these entities to register as pharmacy owners” again.

Under the Medicines Act 1968, the GPhC has powers to disqualify pharmacy owners and remove their premises from the register.

The regulator confirmed it will ask its fitness-to-practise committee to close theses cases on the basis they are no longer in the pubic interest, adding that the GPhC “will take steps to bring these cases to a resolution while we develop a full disqualification policy”.

In a statement to The Pharmaceutical Journal, the Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) welcomed the policy but stressed it must be “robust and effective” and “at the very least” the names of the pharmacy owners involved should still be made public to ensure transparency.

The PDA also urged the GPhC to use this opportunity to introduce a “robust” policy that protects patients, supports NHS service delivery and holds owners accountable for “inappropriate behaviours”.

Mark Pitt, director of defence at the PDA, said: “While an individual pharmacist failing to meet standards would know they risk having their fitness to practise challenged by the regulator and potentially their career as a pharmacist ended, it has often felt like no matter how inappropriately a community pharmacy owner behaves, there will be no meaningful consequences.”

In its publication and disclosure policy, the GPhC says it will publish information on pharmacy premises removed from the register and disqualified pharmacy owners on a dedicated page on its website for five years from when the decision comes into effect.

“We will not publish or disclose, unless appropriate, fitness-to-practise committee determinations about an owner, where the hearing has been held in private, for example to consider health matters. In these cases, we will publish a redacted (edited) version of the determination, or a summary,” the policy states.

Laura Wilson, director for Scotland at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, commented: “A policy will ensure consistency in the application and the identification of cases which merit a full hearing taking place.”