Community Pharmacy

Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme (PVG)
and NHS Pharmaceutical Services

Image of Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme logo

The Pharmacy & Medicines Division of the Scottish Government has produced an advice note on the application of the PVG scheme in the context of NHS Pharmaceutical Services.

Background

In February 2011, the Scottish Government introduced a new membership scheme to replace and improve upon the current disclosure arrangements for people who work with vulnerable groups – the scheme is known as the PVG Scheme.

The PVG Scheme is established by the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 (“the PVG Act”). Operated by Disclosure Scotland, the purpose the Scheme is to:

….help to ensure that those who have regular contact with children and protected adults through paid and unpaid work do not have a known history of harmful behaviour….

The PVG Scheme is Scotland’s response to the principal recommendation of the Bichard Inquiry Report which was undertaken following the tragic murders in Soham in 2002. This recommendation called for a registration system for all those who work with children and vulnerable adults in the UK that would confirm that there is no known reason why an individual should not work with these client groups.

NHS Pharmaceutical Services

Pharmacists providing NHS Pharmaceutical Care Services, in general, will be doing regulated work as defined by Scheme and wider legislative intent. This is because they are providing a health service under the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 which includes care and/or advice relating to their patients physical well-being.

The Pharmacy & Medicines Division of the Scottish Government has produced an advice note on the application of the scheme in the context of NHS Pharmaceutical Care Services. The advice note provides advice to community pharmacy contractors on how to use the PVG Scheme and includes specific advice on:

  1. locum pharmacists, including those supplied by another organisation, who deliver NHS Pharmaceutical Services; and
  1. other members of community pharmacy support staff, such as pharmacy technicians and pharmacy assistants who deliver NHS Pharmaceutical Services.  

Community Pharmacy Scotland

It is also worth noting that Community Pharmacy Scotland (CPS) is a registered umbrella organisation with Disclosure Scotland to facilitate pharmacy owners' compliance with the PVG scheme.  Further information can be found on their website.

Disclosure Scotland

Disclosure Scotland is a service designed to enhance public safety. Its services provide employers, voluntary sector organisations and those in their care, with disclosure information, to assist in the recruitment decision, helping protect the vulnerable.  Further information about the PVG scheme is available from the Disclosure Scotland website.