EEA Pharmacists application process to register with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain RPSGB

PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS DIRECTORATE Overseas registration 2005

The European Directives concerning the free movement of pharmacists in the European Economic Area (EEA) allow a person to register as a pharmacist in Great Britain provided that the standard requirements for registration are fulfilled.

The standard Requirements for registration with the RPSGB are:

1. A national of a Member State of the EEA;
2. In good standing with their professional authority in their Member State;

and either

3. Have a degree in pharmacy from a Member State of the EEA which complies with the Training Directive 5/432/EEC

or

4. Have a degree in pharmacy from a Member State of the EEA which was granted (or at least started) before the implementation date of Training Directive 85/432/EEC in that Member State and have worked in a Member State in an activity referred to in Article_1(2) of Directive 85/432/EEC (which is also an activity regulated by that Member State) for at least three consecutive years during the five years preceding the award of the certificate.

For the qualification to comply with Minimum Training Requirements the course leading to the qualification must cover a period of at least 5 years in total and comprise at least 4 years at university and at least 6 months of in-service training in a pharmacy open to the public or in a hospital under the supervision of the pharmaceutical department of the hospital. Furthermore the in-service training should be full-time, should take place towards the end of the overall course and be completed before obtaining the right to practise pharmacy.

To qualify for ‘acquired rights’ you must have been ‘effectively and lawfully engaged in one of the activities referred to in Article 1 (2) of Directive 85/432/EEC in a Member State for at least 3 consecutive years during the last 5 years preceding the award of the certificate, provided that the activity is regulated in that State’.

You must provide evidence that you comply with 1, 2 and 3 or 4.

You are therefore required to submit the following documents

The application form included in this pack. Please fill in the form in full remembering to:

• Insert your family name and first names - in exactly the same way as they appear on your birth or marriage certificates. If you are using your married family name please also provide your family name prior to marriage.
• Provide a full contact address. If possible please also provide a full contact address in the UK and an e-mail address. Please write clearly.

A clear and legible certified photocopy of your passport.

The copy must be certified as a true copy of the original by a solicitor or an equivalent legal witness in the Member State of origin. The office will not accept a copy of the passport, which has been certified by persons such as police officers, other professionals or local government officials. Please ensure that the solicitor certifies the page of your passport, which contains your photograph and nationality details.

The solicitor must write on the photocopied document & certify that "I have seen the original document on the ….. day of…… and that this is a true copy" and sign and stamp the photocopy. If this certification on the photocopied document is not in English the certification must be translated into English by a professional translator who is authorised to translate from the particular foreign language into English and who must certify the translation produced is true and accurate.

A clear and legible certified copy of your birth certificate and marriage certificate if applicable.

The copy of your birth/marriage certificate must be certified as a true copy of the original by a solicitor or an equivalent legal witness in the Member State of origin. The office will not accept a copy of the birth/marriage certificate, which has been certified by persons such as police officers, other professionals or local government officials.

If the birth/marriage certificate is not in English you will be required to provide a solicitor certified copy of the documents in the original language and solicitor-certified copies of authorised translations of these documents into English. All translations must have been undertaken by a professional translator who is authorised to translate from the particular foreign language into English and who must certify the translation produced is true and accurate.

The solicitor must write on each photocopied document " I certify that I have seen the original document on the ….. Day of and that this is a true copy" and sign and stamp each photocopy. If this certification on the document is not in English the certification must also be translated into English by a professional translator who is authorised to translate from the particular foreign language into English and who must certify the translation produced is true and accurate.

An original Health Declaration. (Please use the Health Declaration provided)

Please ensure that your doctor enters your full name as it appears on your birth/marriage certificate on the health declaration. Also in addition to entering his full name below his signature your doctor must also provide his registration number and stamp the declaration with the official surgery stamp.

Under Article 11 of Directive 85/433/EEC the Health Declaration must be submitted within 3 months of the date of issue.

The original document from your professional authority, which confirms your registration and good standing with that authority.

The professional authority must confirm that you have not been the subject of any disciplinary proceedings and that there are no disciplinary proceedings pending against you. If the document from the professional authority is not in English you are required to provide the original authorised translation of this document into English. The translation must be produced by a professional translator who is authorised to translate from the particular foreign language into English and who must certify the translation produced is true and accurate.

Under the Society's Byelaws, the Registrar must be satisfied as to your good standing therefore if you are not registered with a professional authority you are required to provide evidence of police clearance and two character references from professionals such as previous employers who can vouch for your good character. The referees should be requested to state in the letter that they are providing the character reference for the purpose of your registration with the Society. Under Article 11 of Directive 85/433/EEC the letter of good standing, police clearance and references must be submitted within 3 months of the date of issue.

If you do not register with the Society within six months of the date of confirmation of your good standing from your professional authority you will be required to obtain an up-to-date letter confirming your continued good standing. Letters confirming police clearance are usually only valid for three months from the date of issue and you are therefore required to complete the registration procedure within this time period or provide up-to date evidence of police clearance.

The original document from the Competent Authority, which confirms that your qualification or work experience complies with the relevant Directives.

If this document is not in English you are required to provide the original authorised translation of this document into English. The translation must be produced by a professional translator who is authorised to translate from the particular foreign language into English and who must certify the translation produced is true and accurate.

The European Commission have confirmed that documents confirming compliance with Article 6 of Directive 85/433/EEC 'the acquired rights' certificate must be submitted within 3 months of the date of issue.

You may be required to provide other documentation to demonstrate that you comply with 1, 2 and 3 or 4.

For example in order to comply with the requirements Introduced by Directive 2001/197EC pharmacists who started their qualification In Italy before 1 November 1993 and completed this before 1 November 2003 are required to provide evidence that their qualification does indeed comply with the Minimum Training Requirements.

Please note that if the Competent Authority cannot confirm compliance with the Minimum Training Requirements (Article 2 of Directive 85/432/EEC) or compliance with Article 6 of Directive 85/433/EEC and you still wish to continue with your application to register with the Society you will be required to apply to the Adjudicating Committee. Details of the Adjudicating Committee application procedures will be sent to you if it becomes apparent that it is this procedure, which is to apply to your application to register with the Society. At present the Adjudicating Committee interviews EU applicants who cannot register automatically under the relevant directives. Under the Society's current Byelaws, the application fee to the Adjudicating Committee is £556 and the interview fee is a further £556. Both fees are subject to annual review. The Adjudicating Committee will assess whether your pharmacy training conforms to European requirements and in any case of non-conformity will stipulate any further training required for you to be eligible for registration. The requirements for registration can include 12 months pre-registration training and the Society's Registration Examination. In some instances the Committee has also required successful completion of the Overseas Pharmacists Assessment Programme. However the Adjudicating Committee will take into consideration all your qualifications, or knowledge or experience, in pharmacy, wherever acquired, which are relevant to the question of whether your name should be registered.

Your route to registration will depend on how the Competent Authority describes your qualifications and/or experience in relation to the relevant directives.

Notes

• The address you enter on the 'Application for Registration' form (to be provided at the meeting) must be an address in Great Britain.
• You will have to provide evidence of your nationality ie passport at the meeting.
• At the meeting you will be required to pay the appropriate registration fee of £125.00. The fee may be paid in cash, by a cheque drawn on a British bank or by travellers cheque, but not by credit card.
• A statutory declaration duly witnessed by a solicitor needs to be completed following the before registration is sought. This will be explained at the meeting; this is not to be completed prior to the meeting. A fee of £5.00 is payable to the solicitor for completion of the statutory declaration.
• In the interests of the public, both the European Directive concerning the free movement of pharmacists and the Society's Code of Ethics require a pharmacist practising in Great Britain to have a sufficient knowledge of the English language.
• Before you become the sole or responsible pharmacist in charge of a pharmacy in Great Britain you should gain experience by shadowing a pharmacist in the workplace from anything from one to three months to develop knowledge of the legal and ethical framework of pharmacy practice in this country.
• Under the terms of the directive, you will not be able to take personal control of a pharmacy that has been opened for less than three years.