Health Professions Council

The Act concerns state registered chiropodists and provides a list of medicines that chiropodists may sell, supply and administer. However since the Act the registration process for podiatrists has changed. The terms chiropodist and podiatrist are now protected by law and can only be used by practitioners that are registered with the Health Professions Council. 

The Act refers to state registered chiropodist (SRCh) but this title has been out of use since 9 July 2003. It is still used by many podiatrists as it is seen by the general public as an indication that a podiatrist is fully qualified. What is required now is that they are registered with the Health Professions Council (HPC). 

State registered chiropodists who hold a certificate of competence in the use of analgesics issued by or with the approval of the Chiropodists Board or the Health Professions Council may administer parenterally in the course of their professional practice prescription-only medicines containing any of the following substances ... 

Chiropodists (or Podiatrists) (Registering body Health Professions Council, HPC)... 

Chisholm, J., Fish, D., and Tingey, D. 1998. Health professions council recommendation on the designation of traditional Chinese medicine, (updated 2004). Ministry of Health Services. B.C. Canada. http //www.hlth.gov.bc.ca/lg/hpc/reports/apps-tem.htinl/ISS. 

Most of them are available as over-the-counter or pharmacy medicines but some are available only on prescription. Proprietary names are given where appropriate. Because podiatrists are likely to be treating fungal infections of the feet, some prescription-only antifungal drugs have been added to the list of exemptions for qualified podiatrists registered with the Health Professions Council (see Chapter 14). 

Ketoconazole and tioconazole are currently prescription-only medicines, but qualified podiatrists registered with the Health Professions Council are able to access and supply tioconazole 28% (as from November 2006). 

The restrictions on the sale and supply of certain medicinal products imposed by the Medicines Act do not apply to registered podiatrists who have successfully completed training, hold a certificate of competence and have the entitlement annotated on the Health Professions Council (HPC) register, providing the following conditions are met ... 

All health care professionals who are involved with supplementary prescribing will require continuing professional development (CPD). Practitioners have a responsibility to keep themselves up to date with clinical and professional developments. Since 2005, podiatrists (and others) have also had to meet the requirements of the Standards for Continuing Professional Development of the Health Professions Council. This is a self-declaration, which has to be kept current with practice within an individual s practice. It is subject to periodic audit, requiring the submission of evidence of CPD to the HPC. Employers should allow practitioners access to relevant education and training. The Department of Health has commissioned CPD support for supplementary prescribers through the National Prescribing Centre (see www.npc.co.uk). 

Counter-fraud and Security Agency Environmental Health Agency General Dental Council General Medical Council Health and Safety Executive Health Professions Council Health Protection Agency Care Quality Commission... 

Association of Clinical Scientists www.assclinsci.org Association of British Healthcare Industries www.abhi.org.uk Health Professions Council www.hpc-uk.org Bath Institute of Medical Engineering www.bath.ac.uk/bime Brand Institute for Bioengineering www.branel.ac.uk/bib Medical Engineering Resource Unit www.mera.org.uk... 

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