Pharmacists who are not working, working in non-pharmacy sector or residing overseas for at least one year, may declare themselves as inactive by submitting the Inactive Status Declaration Form [PDF, 113KB] Form to SPC.

To be eligible for inactive status, the pharmacist must meet at least one of the following criteria:

1. Not working
2. Working in non-pharmacy sector.
3. Been residing overseas for at least one year or more (I.e. if overseas residency started in Sept 2015, application is only eligible from Sept 2016)

Pharmacy sector refers to any area where the practice of pharmacy is present or utilized.

According to the First Schedule of the Pharmacists Registration Act 2007 (No 48 of 2007), acts or activities constituting 'The Practice of Pharmacy' include-

Applying the knowledge and science of pharmacy in:

(a) Interpreting, evaluating and implementing prescriptions of persons authorised by law to prescribe medications;

(b) Compounding, labelling, dispensing, distributing and administering medication;

(c) Initiating and modifying medication therapy in accordance with the collaborative practice agreements established and approved by health care facilities or voluntary agreements with persons authorised by law to prescribe medication;

(d) Patient assessment and counselling for the purpose of recommending and dispensing medication;

(e) Managing medication therapy;

(f) Evaluating medication use;

(g) Manufacturing and distributing medicinal products; and

(h) Quality assurance of medicinal products.

The Council will review each inactive status declaration on a case by case basis.

The period of inactive status will take effect from the date of application till a date specified by the pharmacist in the declaration form.

Upon approval, pharmacists will be notified, and shall return their current Practising Certificate (PC) in exchange for the Inactive Status PC.

Pharmacists with inactive status will have their Continuing Profession Education (CPE) requirement reduced to 20 points for the 2-year Qualifying Period. There is no minimum patient care points requirement, and cap limit for each CPE category will not apply.

Pharmacists with inactive status will still be required to do PC renewal every 2 years at the same rate (S$500) as normal PC. Only pharmacists with inactive (not working) status will be given a lowered PC fee.

Pharmacists who have declared inactive are not allowed to practise any form of pharmacy during their inactive period.

In the event that pharmacists wish to resume active practice, they must apply for their active status to be reinstated only if they have already accummulated 25 CPE points (including at least 8 patient care points for normal PC) during the 12 months preceding the date of resuming active practice.

Please contact us for any further queries regarding Inactive Status Declaration.