Module 1 of 2 · 45 minutes
The GPhC's position and your accountability
By the end of this module you will be able to
- State the GPhC's position on accountability
- List what is expected of pharmacy professionals
- Explain what the GPhC does not regulate
- Review an AI output before acting on it
- Raise a concern about a tool
Work through it
1 interactive for this module, built on the WAJD Teach engine. Nothing moves until you ask it to, and every one has a written version if you would rather read it.
Watch: Emma and George talk it through
3 minutes. Captions are on, and the same conversation is written out in full below. The voices are computer generated.
Emma George, our dispensing system now flags interactions using AI. Has the regulator said anything?
George Yes. The General Pharmaceutical Council published a position statement in April 2026. It covers practice, revalidation, and education and training.
Emma What's its position?
George That pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are personally accountable for their professional practice, even when AI is being used. And must always be prepared to justify their decisions and actions.
Emma So if the system misses an interaction?
George The check was yours. The statement says AI should not replace clinical decision making and professional judgement.
Emma Hasn't the regulator approved the system?
George No. It says it doesn't have a role in regulating AI tools or products, or in assessing their clinical safety or technical performance. Many AI products for healthcare are regulated as medical devices, by the MHRA.
Emma So what does the regulator regulate?
George You, and the pharmacy. If a concern's raised, it may investigate whether you appropriately used your professional judgement when using the tool.
Emma What does it expect of me, day to day?
George Understand how the tool's intended to be used, its limitations and biases. Have the training for it. And review its outputs for accuracy, bias or misleading information.
Emma And with patients?
George Be transparent about your use of AI. Explain to patients how it's being used in their care, with the risks and benefits. And seek consent where necessary.
Emma Data?
George Meet confidentiality and data protection requirements. Including reviewing how information is stored, used or shared.
Emma And when it gets something wrong?
George Raise it, in line with the duty of candour. A near miss you catch is one the next pharmacy won't catch unless somebody says so.
Emma Give me three things to know by Monday.
George Which tools in your pharmacy use AI. What each is intended for. And who to tell when one is wrong.
The written material
The position
The General Pharmaceutical Council's position statement on the use of AI in pharmacy was published in April 2026. It covers practice, revalidation, and education and training. It lists where AI may be relevant: diagnosis and prescribing, clinical checks in pharmacy dispensing systems, operational tasks, transcribing patient notes, and supporting reflection or assessment.
Its central statement is that pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are personally accountable for their professional practice, even when AI is being used. They must always be prepared to justify their decisions and actions, explaining how they have exercised their professional judgement.
What the regulator does and does not do
The GPhC says it does not have a role in regulating AI tools or products, or in assessing their clinical safety or technical performance. In the UK many AI products designed for healthcare are regulated as medical devices by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
What the GPhC does regulate is you and the pharmacy. If a concern is raised about a professional's or a pharmacy's use of AI, it will use its established processes, which may include investigating whether a pharmacist or pharmacy technician has appropriately used their professional judgement and clinical decision making when using AI tools.
What is expected of you
To meet the Standards for pharmacy professionals when AI is used, the statement sets out what the GPhC would expect of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
- Understand how AI tools are intended to be used, their limitations and biases
- Have the relevant training, knowledge and skills for any tool you use
- Review outputs for accuracy, bias or misleading information
- Be transparent about your use of AI tools
- Meet confidentiality and data protection requirements, including how information is stored, used or shared
- Explain to patients how AI is being used in their care, with the risks and benefits
- Seek consent from patients and the public where necessary
- Behave professionally, with honesty and integrity
- Raise concerns about AI use, errors or risks in line with the duty of candour
- Do not use AI in any way that puts patients and the public at risk of harm
Reviewing an output, and speaking up
A clinical check suggested by a system is a suggestion. The expectation is to review it for accuracy, bias or misleading information, which means comparing it with the prescription, the patient's record and what you know, and being ready to say why you accepted or overrode it.
When a tool gets something wrong, or nearly does, the statement asks you to raise it in line with the duty of candour. A near miss caught by one pharmacist is a near miss the next pharmacy will not catch unless somebody says so.
Knowledge check
The knowledge check and your certificate need a free account, so that your progress and results can be saved as evidence.
The learning itself stays free and open. You are reading all of it right now without an account.
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