Published: 10th September 2026
Contractors may wish to review their team records to ensure all relevant pharmacy staff have the correct Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme membership linked to their current employer. Taking a few minutes to carry out this check will help support compliance with legal requirements and robust safeguarding arrangements across community pharmacy.
As part of their regulated role, pharmacy technicians working in community pharmacy are required to be members of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme.
Contractors may wish to take this opportunity to review their team records and ensure that all relevant staff have the appropriate PVG membership linked to their current employer. If an individual has never been a member of the scheme, they will need to complete a PVG Scheme (Join) application. Where an individual has changed their employer, a PVG Scheme (Existing) application should be completed to update their membership and link it to their new organisation.
Taking a few moments to confirm that PVG memberships are current and correctly linked will help ensure compliance with legal requirements and support robust safeguarding arrangements across the community pharmacy network.
Further information on PVG requirements and the application process is available on the Community Pharmacy Scotland website: www.cps.scot/pvg-scheme. Contractors with any queries can contact pvg.enquiries@cps.scot.
This information was correct at the time of publication. Policy and guidance can change, so please check our latest news for the current position. For anything else, please contact enquiries@cps.scot
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
-
Yes. Pharmacy technicians working in community pharmacy are required to be members of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme as part of their regulated role.
Source: Community Pharmacy Scotland (PVG Scheme)
-
A PVG Scheme (Join) application should be completed when an individual has never previously been a member of the scheme.
Source: Community Pharmacy Scotland (PVG Scheme)
-
A PVG Scheme (Existing) application should be completed to update the individual's membership and link it to their new organisation.
Source: Community Pharmacy Scotland (PVG Scheme)
-
Reviewing records helps ensure PVG memberships are current, correctly linked to the appropriate employer, compliant with legal requirements and supportive of safeguarding arrangements across community pharmacy.
Source: Community Pharmacy Scotland (PVG Scheme)
Ask Your Pharmacist Week highlights the advice, treatment and support available through NHS Pharmacy First Scotland.