Community Pharmacists Are No Longer On Shortage Occupation List

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 17 Jun 2009 - 8:00 PDT

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The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain is concerned that from today, only pharmacists working in the NHS or hospitals will be on the shortage occupation list, which permits non-EU pharmacists and pre-registration trainees to get work visas.

In September last year the UK Borders Agency Migration Advisory Committee recommended that community pharmacists and pharmacy technicians were on the list of shortage occupations, but in May it agreed to remove them.

The Society believes that it, along with community pharmacy employers, should have been consulted about this decision. It is now unclear how the change to the list will affect the Society's existing international members or international members in future. Wendy Harris, Deputy Registrar and Director of Regulation, said; "A decision was made rather quickly to take community pharmacists and pharmacy technicians off the shortage occupation list without any consultation with the Society.

"We are now trying to ascertain exactly what this will mean. But there is a worry that this will affect overseas assessment programmes for qualified pharmacists from abroad who wish to work here, along with the 15 per cent of UK pharmacy students who are from overseas and choose to get their degree in Great Britain."

The UK Borders Agency Migration Advisory Committee is reviewing medical occupations again in the autumn of 2009 and there is an opportunity to submit evidence in relation to pharmacists by July 15 for that review. This will be a chance to argue for the reinstatement of other pharmacists, including community pharmacists and pre-registration trainees, before the list is reviewed again in September. The Society is now considering what evidence to present and is working with other pharmacy bodies to ensure all relevant information is presented to the Migration Advisory Committee, in the hope it reverses its recent decision.

Source
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain