As of yesterday there were 63 provisionally registered pharmacists eligible to join the full register, the GPhC has said as it warned the application deadline is fast approaching.

The regulator issued a statement yesterday (January 18) thanking all those who have worked as provisionally registered pharmacists for their efforts to support the health service during the Covid-19 pandemic.

It said that with the provisional register set to close on Monday January 31 as three opportunities to sit the registration exam have been offered, “anyone still on the provisional register must have joined the main register by 1 February, otherwise they cannot work as a pharmacist after this date”.

There are 84 provisionally registered pharmacists who have begun or submitted an application to join the pharmacist register, and a further 63 who have passed the exam but not submitted an application.

Ninety individuals have not sat an assessment and so may not apply. These people will cease to be able to work as provisionally registered pharmacists after January 31, but will have an opportunity to sit the assessment in June this year.

The GPhC added that it was “urging employers to ask any provisionally registered trainees that they employ if they’ve applied for full registration and encourage those who haven’t, to do so straight away”.

GPhC chief Duncan Rudkin said: “As the provisional register closes, we would like to thank all those involved in helping pre-registration trainees and provisionally-registered pharmacists to meet the considerable challenges of completing their training and sitting the registration assessment during the pandemic. 

“We are grateful to professional leadership and representative bodies, education and training organisations and employers, for everything they have done to support provisionally-registered pharmacists and help them provide safe and effective care to patients.

“And we particularly want to acknowledge the considerable contribution to health services that provisionally-registered pharmacists have made during this time. 

“We are prioritising applications for the pharmacist register and we will do our best to ensure any further applications are dealt with as quickly as possible and these pharmacists can continue their excellent work.”

A total of 4,799 individuals have joined the provisional register since it opened in July 2020 to allow pharmacy graduates to work in NHS pharmacy settings before sitting their registration exam.

The emergency measure was introduced amid record demand for pharmaceutical services and widespread disruption to assessments.