In an update posted on its website and on X - formerly known as Twitter - this afternoon (October 30), the regulator said it was “very sorry for the technical issues registrants have been experiencing with My GPhC”.
It added that it was “working to resolve any outstanding problems as quickly as possible” and that it will “provide a further update on the situation tomorrow”.
Read more: Revalidation chaos: GPhC 'working to resolve' website issues as deadline looms
The GPhC also confirmed that it had “extended the deadline” for those due to submit their renewal or revalidation before November 1 to 11:59pm on Tuesday November 7.
Pharmacists welcomed the news, saying it was the “right decision” and that it would “take away unnecessary stress for those who struggled with access to the site over the last couple of days”.
"Wasted five hours"
It comes after the GPhC admitted to experiencing “issues” with its website amid reports that pharmacists attempting to complete their revalidation could not access the correct portal.
Pharmacists took to social media over the weekend to express their dismay at difficulties accessing the GPhC’s website for revalidation submission ahead of the original deadline this week.
They called for the deadline to be extended, saying they were facing “anxiety” and “panicking” at the roadblock to their submission - with one having “wasted five hours” trying to submit.
Read more: Pharmacy revalidation: what do you need to submit?
The regulator said this morning that it was “aware that some registrants are experiencing issues with myGPhC and [is] working to resolve this ASAP”, with the website “unavailable” at that time.
In a tweet that has since been deleted, it later confirmed that the myGPhC portal was "up and running again", pledging to "monitor" the situation".
But it has continued to be plagued with issues - admitting this afternoon that it is "still experiencing some issues with myGPhC" and that it is "working to resolve” them.
Read more: Use of ChatGPT in revalidation could trigger FtP case, GPhC warns
In March 2020, the GPhC postponed the revalidation submission date due to the COVID-19 pandemic and later told registrants to only submit a reflective account for their revalidation entry that year.
The approach was extended to those having to renew their registration in December, January or February 2022 but the full pharmacy revalidation requirements were reinstated from October 2022.
Meanwhile, the regulator suggested in May that pharmacists undertaking AI-assisted revalidation could face sanctions under a fitness-to-practise (FtP) procedure.
