Regulation in healthcare

European regulator finds at least 20 medicines with significant nitrosamine contamination

Exclusive: The European Medicines Agency has said products identified as containing nitrosamine above acceptable levels will likely require a variation in their marketing authorisation.…

Employers should take ‘challenging situations’ into account if complaints are made about pharmacy staff this winter

The General Pharmaceutical Council and UK chief pharmaceutical officers have written to pharmacy teams to reassure them as the NHS faces huge pressures.…

GPhC receives record number of fitness-to-practise concerns

Despite the largest number of concerns reported in any quarter, the pharmacy regulator says it is making good progress in improving its fitness-to-practise systems.…

Government decision on tougher online pharmacy regulation expected ‘shortly’

Exclusive: The Department of Health and Social Care has said it hopes to publish a review of the Care Quality Commission's functions "shortly", which will inform its decision on whether the regulator's proposals for legislative changes around online prescribing are needed.…

Pharmacy regulator has failed to meet fitness-to-practise standards for the fourth year in a row

The General Pharmaceutical Council has failed to meet three standards relating to the transparency, fairness and timeliness of the fitness-to-practise process and the support available for the people involved.…

Pharmacy staff working at online providers account for third of open FtP investigations

Exclusive: Out of 600 open fitness-to-practise investigations, just over 30% involve pharmacists working within online pharmacies, the General Pharmaceutical Council has said.…

Pharmacy regulator to anonymise fitness-to-practise investigations as safeguard against racial bias

Owing to overrepresentation of individuals from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds in fitness-to-practise cases, the General Pharmaceutical Council will redact information relating to ethnicity in case papers.…

Online pharmacies are eight times more likely to fail regulatory standards, data show

Exclusive: Investigation reveals how some online pharmacies are repeatedly prescribing large amounts of opioids and z-drugs, in one case using an accountant to approve medicine orders.…

Nigel Clarke: ‘The pharmacy registration exam needs to be revisited’

As he steps down after eight years at the helm of the pharmacy regulator, Nigel Clarke reflects on his tenure during one of the most challenging times in the history of public health.…

RPS supports permanent move to remote fitness-to-practise hearings

The Society said that the increased likelihood of registrants attending remote hearings meant they had the potential to improve patient safety.…