Important Information for Returning MPharm Students
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) who oversee the conduct of registered pharmacists have decided that from 2010 all students registered on an MPharm programme in the UK are to be assessed on their fitness to practice (FtP). LJMU are following the national guidelines as are other UK Schools of Pharmacy.
Your continuation on the MPharm programme is conditional upon your suitability to practise pharmacy, following consideration of your fitness to practise including any past criminal convictions or cautions.
You will have to complete a 'Fitness to Practise/Criminal Convictions and Cautions Self Declaration Form' annually, at each year's induction, whilst studying at LJMU. Your continuation on the programme and on to becoming a registered pharmacist is partly subject to the outcome of these annual declarations. You must declare any fitness to practise issues including convictions or cautions which you may have received either in this country or in other countries before and during your study on the MPharm programme.
In addition, you may be required to undertake a full health screen and an enhanced disclosure criminal record check through the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). The cost for obtaining a CRB check (currently £ 44.00) is payable by yourself.
Any issues arising from your self-declarations, health screen, CRB will be dealt with via LJMU processes as detailed here. The University cannot guarantee entry to the Register of Pharmacists even if a CRB or FtP disclosure has been reviewed and you are deemed fit to continue on the MPharm programme. The decision to register as a pharmacist can only be made by the GPhC at the point of application to join the Register.
As the LJMU pharmacy programme is preparing you and others to enter a profession it is important that you take a professional approach to your conduct and learning. Before embarking on this career at LJMU, you are required to abide by the Code of Conduct for Pharmacy Students, a copy is available at http://ljmu.ac.uk/Faculties/SCS/114612.htm. You will be asked to confirm that you have read and understood the Code of Conduct when completing the self-declaration form.
Further information and guidance is available to you on all of these issues, including our processes for dealing with disclosures, along with case-studies provided by the GPhC on what constitutes inappropriate behaviour and how individual cases are dealt with.
Professor Jim Ford
Director of School
