Procedures for the Registration of Pharmacists and Pharmacist Assistants

Issued pursuant to
Section 5, Paragraph 17 of the Pharmacy Law

I. General Provisions

1. This Regulation prescribes the procedures for the registration of pharmacists and pharmacist assistants.

2. The registration of pharmacists and pharmacist assistants and amendments in the register of pharmacists and pharmacist assistants (hereinafter - the register) shall be made by the Latvian Pharmacist Association.

3. The Latvian Pharmacist Association shall ensure the issuance of registration certificates and registration certificate-tags (hereinafter - a certificate-tag) for registered pharmacists and pharmacist assistants.

4. The registration certificate shall be drawn up and prepared in accordance with the regulatory enactments regarding the drawing up and preparation of documents, and the following information shall be included:

4.1. the name of the issuing authority;

4.2. the given name, surname and vocational title of the registered pharmacist and pharmacist assistant;

4.3. the personal identity number of the registered pharmacist or pharmacist assistant;

4.4. the registration number in the register and the registration date;

4.5. a photograph of the person.

5. The certificate-tag shall include the information referred to in Sub-paragraphs 4.1, 4.2 and 4.4 of this Regulation.

6. The president of the Latvian Pharmacist Association shall sign registration certificates and the stamp of the Latvian Pharmacist Association shall certify the signature.

7. Pharmacists and pharmacist assistants who work at a dispensing pharmacy (in the branch of a dispensing pharmacy) shall register with the Latvian Pharmacist Association.

8. Pharmacists and pharmacist assistants who do not work at a dispensing pharmacy (in the branch of a dispensing pharmacy) are entitled to provide information regarding themselves to the Latvian Pharmacist Association for inclusion in the register.

9. Pharmacists and pharmacist assistants who provide information to the Latvian Pharmacist Association for inclusion in the register or information regarding changes to previously provided information shall complete and submit an application (Annex 1) to the Latvian Pharmacist Association, or as the case may be, an application for the registration of changes (Annex 2) (hereinafter - an application). The application shall be signed by the pharmacist and pharmacist assistant who has provided the information regarding himself or herself to the Latvian Pharmacist Association. An application may also be submitted to the Latvian Pharmacist Association by registered post.

II. Information to be Included in the Register

10. The following information shall be included in the register regarding a pharmacist or pharmacist assistant:

10.1. personal data:

10.1.1. given name, surname (for foreigners the original form in the foreign language in Latin alphabet transliteration);

10.1.2. a personal identity number;

10.2. data regarding the education of the person (the Latvian Pharmacist Association shall enter this into the register independently in respect of foreigners):

10.2.1. the diploma number or other document number verifying the education, series and date of issue, the name of the issuing body, the graduation year from the educational institution and the nation that issued the document; and

10.2.2. vocational (specialisation/qualification) title. A degree, for example, a science degree, shall also be indicated, if any;

10.3. data regarding professional experience in a pharmacy (the Latvian Pharmacist Association shall enter this into the register independently in respect of foreigners):

10.3.1. the date of commencement of the performance of duties;

10.3.2. the date of completion of the performance of duties;

10.3.3. the name of the undertaking, the registration number of the undertaking, the state where the undertaking was registered, the name of the undertaking of pharmaceutical activity (a dispensing pharmacy, the branch of the dispensing pharmacy), the licence number and legal address;

10.3.4. position;

10.3.5. if the information specified in Section 38, Paragraph three of the Pharmacy Law applies to the person, the given name and surname of the pharmacist under the supervision of whom this person works shall be indicated;

10.4. a document verifying the recognition of the professional qualification, if the education or work experience has been acquired in another country: the name, number, series and date of issue, name of the issuing authority;

10.5. data regarding the person's further education, indicating the courses, the duration thereof, the documents acquired (the Latvian Pharmacist Association shall enter this into the register independently);

10.6. information regarding linguistic knowledge. Other information (if the documents verifying linguistic knowledge have been issued - the number thereof, date and place of issue);

10.7. Infringements of the ethical rules of the Latvian Pharmacist Association, if any (the Latvian Pharmacist Association shall enter this into the register independently);

10.8. in respect of a pharmacist, the professional qualification certificate number, if any, and the date, but in respect of a pharmacist assistant, an authorisation to manage a dispensing pharmacy, if any (number, series, date of granting and date of expiry of validity);

10.9. for members of the Latvian Pharmacist Association - the membership card number;

10.10. the registration number in the register assigned by the Latvian Pharmacist Association; and

10.11. data regarding suspension or annulment of registration (the Latvian Pharmacist Association shall enter this into the register independently).

11. If any of the information to be included in the register is amended, the new information shall be entered without destroying the previous information.

III. Provision of Information and Taking of Decisions

12. A pharmacist and pharmacist assistant has a duty, if any of the information provided by him or her has changed, within 15 working days of the changes, to submit (send) to the Latvian Pharmacist Association an application completed for the registration of changes in accordance with Annex 2 to this Regulation.

13. The authenticity of the information provided in the application shall be certified by the signature of the pharmacist or pharmacist assistant respectively.

14. The Latvian Pharmacist Association shall within five working days of receipt of the submission assess whether all of the documents referred to in this Regulation have been submitted and, where appropriate, shall request any missing documents. The documents shall be examined in the sequence of receipt. Documents submitted shall not be returned to the submitter. The Latvian Pharmacist Association shall take a decision not to examine a submission if, within 20 working days, the additionally requested information or the request for a written substantiation regarding the reasons for failure to submit thereof has not been handed in.

15. The Latvian Pharmacist Association shall assess the information and documents submitted not later than 30 days after receipt of the application and a full set of documents, as well as take a decision on registration of the pharmacist or pharmacist assistant (registration of changes) or the refusal for registration (including the refusal to register changes in relation to changes submitted in the registration data).

16. The Latvian Pharmacist Association shall take decisions regarding the refusal of the registration of a pharmacist or pharmacist assistant in the following cases:

16.1. incomplete or false statements have been provided. The referred to shall also relate to the taking of a decision on changes in the register data; and

16.2. payments referred to in Paragraph 24 of this Regulation have not been made. The referred to shall also relate to the taking of a decision on changes in the register data.

17. The Latvian Pharmacist Association shall take a decision on suspension of the registration of a pharmacist or pharmacist assistant, if the payments referred to in Paragraph 24 of this Regulation have not been made.

18. The Latvian Pharmacist Association may determine the time when the decision on suspension of registration comes into effect. The Latvian Pharmacist Association shall take a decision on renewal of registration (the renewal of a suspended registration certificate) not later than within 30 days after the receipt of the relevant application. The Latvian Pharmacist Association shall inform the provider of the information in writing regarding additional information to be submitted where appropriate. If the information requested or a written substantiation regarding the reasons for failure to submit the information is not received within 20 working days, the Latvian Pharmacist Association shall take a decision not to examine the application.

19. A decision on cancellation of registration of a pharmacist or pharmacist assistant by the Latvian Pharmacist Association shall be taken in the following cases:

19.1. if the pharmacist or pharmacist assistant has provided false statements to the Latvian Pharmacist Association regarding the information to be included in the register;

19.2. in the case of cancellation of the pharmacist or pharmacist assistant's diploma; and

19.3. in case of the death of the pharmacist or pharmacist assistant.

20. If the Latvian Pharmacist Association takes a decision on suspension of registration, the renewal or cancellation thereof, the pharmacist or pharmacist assistant has the right to participate at the meeting where the matter is being reviewed. The Latvian Pharmacist Association shall invite the person in writing and shall inform them of the reason for the invitation.

21. The Latvian Pharmacist Association shall inform the pharmacist or pharmacist assistant regarding a decision (registration, registration of changes, refusal of registration, refusal to register changes, suspension of registration or renewal or cancellation of registration) within five working days of it being taken in accordance with the type of receipt of information provided in the application of the pharmacist or pharmacist assistant, as well as send the said decision as a registered letter or personally serve the pharmacist or pharmacist assistant respectively for which the decision applies. The Latvian Pharmacist Association shall also issue the registered pharmacist or pharmacist assistant with the registration certificate and certificate-tag.

22. When taking a decision on registration of a pharmacist or pharmacist assistant, the Latvian Pharmacist Association shall assign a registry number (which is constant). If the registration certificate or certificate-tag has been lost (for example, stolen, robbed), the Latvian Pharmacist Association shall issue a new registration certificate and certificate-tag with a new registration number. The Latvian Pharmacist Association shall proclaim the lost registration certificate and certificate-tag as invalid and shall ensure the publication of the relevant information.

23. The decision of the Latvian Pharmacist Association referred to in this Regulation may be disputed by submitting an application to the Board of Directors of the Latvian Pharmacy Association. The final decision of the Latvian Pharmacist Association may be appealed to a court.

24. The registration of a pharmacist or pharmacist assistant, including the registration of changes and the maintenance of the annual registry, are payable services, which shall be made at the expense of the person to be registered in accordance with the price list referred to in Annex 3 to this Regulation.

IV. Duties of a Pharmacist and Pharmacist Assistant

25. In case of the loss of a certificate-tag or registration certificate or if the certificate-tag or the registration certificate has been irreparably damaged, the pharmacist or pharmacist assistant shall notify the Latvian Pharmacist Association thereof and shall submit the damaged certificate-tag, as well as the damaged registration certificate. The Latvian Pharmacist Association shall issue a new certificate-tag or registration certificate in place of the damaged certificate-tag or registration certificate. The pharmacist or pharmacist assistant whose registration is to be cancelled (or his or her relatives in the case referred to in Sub-paragraph 19.3 of this Regulation), shall within five working days of the receipt of a decision on cancellation of registration, transfer the cancelled registration certificate and the issued certificate-tag to the Latvian Pharmacist Association.

26. The pharmacist or pharmacist assistant has a duty to notify the holder of the permit (licence) for the opening (operation) of a dispensing pharmacy and the manager of the dispensing pharmacy regarding his or her registration in the Latvian Pharmacist Association and upon request of the manager of the dispensing pharmacy shall present the registration certificate.

V. Control and Supervision

27. The Latvian Pharmacist Association:

27.1. is entitled, upon a reasoned necessity, to request additional documents, which verify the details indicated in the information provided;

27.2. is entitled to invite experts with relevant qualifications to set up a working group or commission for the taking of decisions;

27.3. shall ensure the publication of information regarding registered pharmacists and pharmacist assistants, indicating the given name, surname, registration number and date;

27.4. shall ensure the publication of information regarding further education programmes, courses and the frequency thereof in order that a pharmacist or pharmacist assistant who works at a dispensing pharmacy may further their professional development; and

27.5. shall control and supervise compliance with the requirements specified in this Regulation.

28. The Health Inspectorate shall control and supervise whether the information provided in Sub-paragraph 10.3 of this Regulation corresponds with the truth and shall inform the Latvian Pharmacist Association regarding the results of the verification thereof.

[1 April 2008]

VI. Closing Provisions

29. Pharmacists and pharmacist assistants who work at a dispensing pharmacy shall register with the Latvian Pharmacist Association:

29.1. pharmacists - by 1 September 2004;

29.2. pharmacist assistants - from 1 July 2004 until 31 December 2004.

30. A pharmacist who has received a certificate of a pharmacist's professional qualification, prior to the coming into effect of this Regulation, shall provide the information referred to in Paragraph 10 of this Regulation to the Latvian Pharmacist Association, which has not yet been provided to the Professional Qualification Certification Commission of the Latvian Pharmacist Association, or if changes have been made to the information provided previously. The Latvian Pharmacist Association shall ensure that data at the disposal of the Professional Qualification Certification Commission of the Latvian Pharmacist Association regarding the certified pharmacist shall be included in the registry.

31. The registration of foreigners in the Latvian Pharmacist Association shall be completed within three months after the submission of the application for recognition of a professional qualification.

32. The requirements of this Regulation apply to all persons who have acquired higher or secondary pharmaceutical education.

33. Annex 3 to this Regulation which was in effect until 31 December 2013 shall be applied to cash payments performed in lats during the parallel circulation period prescribed by the Law on the Procedure for Introduction of Euro.

[24 September 2013]

Prime Minister I. Emsis

Minister for Health R.Muciņš

Annex 1
Cabinet Regulation No. 454
27 April 2004

Application for Registration

1. Personal data:

3. Data regarding professional work experience of a person at a dispensing pharmacy:
(need not be completed if work experience has been acquired in other countries and the Latvian Pharmaceutical Association has issued a certificate for the recognition of the professional qualification)

4. If the education or work experience has been acquired in other countries, a document which certifies the recognition of the professional qualification (the name of the document, number, series, the name of issuing institution, issuing state):

5. Information regarding linguistic knowledge. Other information (if the documents verifying linguistic knowledge have been issued - the number thereof, date and place of issue):

(mark as appropriate with an x)

6. Other information:

7. The following documents shall be attached to this application:
(the documents referred to in Sub-paragraphs 7.1, 7.2 and 7.3 need not be submitted if work experience has been acquired in other countries and the Latvian Pharmaceutical Association has issued a certificate for the recognition of the professional qualification)
(mark the appropriate answer with an "x"; and indicate the number of the pages attached))

8. Indicate the information, which has been submitted to the Professional Qualification Certification Commission of the Latvian Pharmacist Association:

To be completed by the pharmacist or pharmacist assistant who shall provide data regarding himself or herself (hereinafter - data provider):

Notes.

1. When completing the application for registration, the pharmacist or pharmacist assistant shall submit, in order, the information specified in Paragraph 3 regarding all previous working places at a dispensing pharmacy(-ies).

2. Columns and rows in the form, which are not completed, shall be crossed out.

3. Each page attached to the form shall be signed.

4. If the application is hand-written, the information shall be written legibly, but, if a computer is being used, it is prohibited to change the layout of the form.

Minister for Health R.Muciņš

Annex 2
Cabinet Regulation No. 454
27 April 2004

Application for Registration of Changes

(data, which has not been included in the application for registration or where the changes have been made, shall be indicated)

Notes.

1. Columns and rows in the form, which are not completed, shall be crossed out.

2. Each page attached to the form shall be signed.

3. If the application is hand-written, the information shall be written legibly, but, if a computer is being used, it is prohibited to change the layout of the form.

Minister for Health R.Muciņš

Annex 3
Cabinet Regulation No. 454
27 April 2004

Price List for the Registration of a Pharmacist or Pharmacist Assistant, the Registration of Changes and for the Annual Maintenance of the Registry

[24 September 2013]

Translation © 2018 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)