To practise in Great Britain, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians must be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and have satisfied us that they meet our requirements
Anyone who is not registered with the GPhC but practices as a pharmacist or pharmacy technician, or refers to themselves as such, is breaking the law and can be prosecuted.
Pharmacies must also be registered with the GPhC (or be a pharmacy department based in a hospital or health centre) to operate in Great Britain and to use the title ‘pharmacy’.
Pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and registered pharmacies must renew their registration with us every year, which involves completing a declaration stating that they meet all of our professional, fitness to practice, and ethical standards.
Click here to check the requirements for registering as a pharmacist
Before applying to register
Before you can apply to register as a pharmacist with the GPhC through this route, you must complete:
- an Overseas Pharmacists Assessment Programme (OSPAP)
- 52 weeks of pre-registration training in England, Scotland or Wales signed off as satisfactory by your tutor
- the GPhC registration assessment with a pass result
Meeting these criteria does not necessarily mean you will gain entry to the UK or find employment.
Before you start the qualifying process you should carefully consider information provided by the UK Borders Agency (UKBA) to see whether you will be able to get the necessary visas and work permits. Unfortunately we are not able to answer questions about these issues.
Are you eligible to apply for an OSPAP course?
If you decide that you do want to complete education and training in Great Britain so that you can apply to register with us, we need to assess if you are eligible to complete an OSPAP course. We will do this by considering your previous qualifications and work experience, your fitness to practise and your English language competency.
Complete an Applying for eligibility to complete an Overseas Pharmacists Assessment Programme (OSPAP) form so that we can assess your eligibility.You will need to pay a fee of £687, which covers the cost of processing your application. It is no refundable, even if your application is unsuccessful. Please note that EEA routes to registration changed after 31 December 2020.
Important: due to the COVID-19 outbreak, pharmacy regulators are currently only able to accept complete applications, including an IELTS test certificate, if you are required to provide one.
Please make sure you read the guidance that comes with the application form so you can provide all the information we need, in the correct form. You can find out more in our Registering as a pharmacist in Great Britain: overseas (non-EEA) qualified pharmacists factsheet [PDF 228 KB]
Providing evidence of English language competency
Read the application guidance to find out if you need to provide evidence of your English language competency as part of your application. You can find out how to provide evidence, and what types we will accept in the Providing evidence of English language competency guidance pack. You can find more information about the legal requirements in our guidance on evidence of English language skills.
Assessing your pharmacy qualification
If your pharmacy qualification is not assessed as equal to at least a UK bachelor’s degree in pharmacy, you must carry out an assessment of the syllabus of the degree that you studied.
Use the International comparative framework assessment form for your assessment.
Professional support
If you are considering working as a pharmacist in Great Britain, you may want to find a pharmacist who can support you. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) is the professional body for pharmacists in Great Britain and runs the RPS Mentoring platform giving you a way of finding a mentor. You can join the RPS as an international member if you are a pharmacist based outside Great Britain.