Northern Ireland Pharmacy Regulation

Summary

The Authority supports the proposals to separate professional regulation and professional leadership. In our view, this would be most efficiently and effectively achieved by transferring the regulatory powers of the PSNI to the GPhC. The purpose of regulation is to protect the public, to maintain public confidence in the profession, and to uphold professional standards. Professional leadership works to promote the interests of the profession, and therefore should be separate from any regulatory arrangements.

We understand the concerns that some NI stakeholders might have about a four-country regulator being less in-touch with local issues. However, in our view, this risk could be mitigated by the governance measures suggested in the consultation document. Furthermore, we believe that the benefits in terms of cost-efficiency, effectiveness and workforce mobility of a UK-wide regulator by far outweigh this risk.