Annual Report 2021

Front cover of the PSI's 2021 Annual Report The Annual Report and Financial Statements highlight the work and achievements of the PSI in 2021 as we carry out our role to assure public trust in pharmacy through effective regulation.

This detailed report, including the audited financial statements, overviews how we progressed all aspects of our statutory responsibilities and the second year of our Corporate Strategy 2021-2023. It demonstrates significant work conducted in 2021, despite the challenges of COVID-19, its related workload and remote working. It documents the projects and organisation changes we instigated, and significant engagement with a variety of our stakeholders.

The report is set out in four parts:

Introductions and highlights of 2021
Results and activity, incorporating our response to COVID-19
Governance and accountability, including our Audit and Risk Committee report and risk management report
Financial statements

Some key activities for PSI during 2021 included:

Significant work to facilitate pharmacy participation in the national COVID-19 vaccination programme.
Management of the registration of 6,846 pharmacists, 254 pharmaceutical assistants and 1,981 pharmacies as part of PSI’s regulatory remit to assure public trust in the standard of pharmacy care and services.
Launch of a new registration portal for PSI applicants and registrants as the first phase of an ongoing digital transformation programme.
Implementation of the amended qualification recognition and registration process for applicants with qualifications obtained in the United Kingdom, as a result of the UK’s departure from the European Union.
Implementing a new organisation structure to improve organisational capacity, planning and delivery.
Reviewing 120 expressions of concerns, as well as eighty formal complaints during the year, with 25 complaints during the period referred for further action.
Responding to 607 pharmacy practice related queries from pharmacists and members of the public and implementing appropriate follow-up actions to deal effectively with queries.

Documents:

Overview of the Annual Report 2021

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Managing our response to COVID-19
- Significant work undertaken in response to the public health challenges
- High levels of stakeholder engagement and partnership work
- Inputted on 16 statutory instruments amending the Regulations providing for the COVID-19 vaccination programme, and significant work involved to ensure approval of related training programmes and guidance for pharmacist vaccinators
- Between June and December 2021 community pharmacies provided 606,394 COVID-19 vaccines as part of the national programme, and many more pharmacists and pharmacy students involved at national vaccination and specialist centres in a variety of roles.
- Published an Overview Report on application of PSI COVID-19 Operational Standards and engaged with pharmacies on its use
You can read more information about how we managed our response to COVID-19 on page 10.
How we progressed our strategy and improvement agenda
The projects we worked on during 2021 included:
- Progressing the review of the Core Competency Framework for Pharmacists and the CPD Model for Pharmacists
- Actioning our Regulatory Risk Approach
- Advancing engagement and proposals for reform of the Pharmacy Act
- Progressing our Business Transformation Programme with the launch of our new registration portal and by adopting and implementing a new organisation structure
- Evolving our approach to customer services and engagement with key stakeholders
- Continuing work on a Strategic Financing Review
- Implementing our HR Strategy 2021-2023
You can read more information on how we progressed our strategy and improvement agenda on page 13.
How we supported our mission - our key functions and responsibilities
Our key functions are intrinsic to meeting our statutory responsibilities. Pages 18 - 37 report on the operational activity taking place across the organisation, in:
- registration and qualification recognition,
- regulatory compliance, pharmacy assurance and, investigation activities,
- consideration of complaints and disciplinary matters,
- monitoring and promotion of professional standards,
- communication and engagement with the public and other stakeholders,
- organisational services supporting our functions, and
- the effective governance of the organisation, including through the work of the PSI Council, committees and our staff.

Annual Report 2021

Overview of the Annual Report 2021

Managing our response to COVID-19

How we progressed our strategy and improvement agenda

How we supported our mission - our key functions and responsibilities