Qualified Person in the Pharmaceutical Industry (QP)

Why should I apply?

If you want to develop your career in Regulatory Affairs or Quality Assurance, then Qualified Person could be the next step for you.

By becoming a QP you will:

• be legally qualified to certify batches of medicines, a unique role within the pharmaceutical industry
• be included in the register of eligible QP professionals
• elevate your professional credibility and reputation
• broaden your career prospects as QPs are employed in many areas of the pharmaceutical industry, in the NHS, and other industries

Who can apply?

You must have extensive experience in pharmaceutical manufacture, and support from your employer, before applying for QP eligibility. You also need to:

• be a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (AMRSC, MRSC, FRSC), or the Royal Pharmaceutical Society or the Royal Society of Biology - please check the guidance notes for membership requirements
• meet formal requirements for qualifications and experience

If your degree does not meet the requirements in the guidance notes please contact our QP officer.

Not a member of the RSC? It's easy to join.

What does it cost?

• Category A (permanent provisions) £800
• The annual retention fee is £100 per year, paid with your membership renewal

You can pay your fee by contacting us

How to apply 

The QP application and sponsor forms are not available online to download and will only be provided to candidates who have successfully registered. To register, please complete the Registration Form and submit it to [email protected]

Further information regarding these updates and what candidates need to do, can be found in the QP Newsletter and the FAQs.

Help with your application

• QP registration form
• JPB Regular Newsletter
• Study Guide - the knowledge and experience that will be assessed
• Guidance Notes for Applicants and Sponsors - eligibility and requirements
• QP Code of Practice
• QP FAQs

The application process and estimated timescales

• Register by downloading a registration form and submit it to [email protected] (allow up to 2 weeks).
• Submit your application forms and payment to us via email to [email protected]
• We review your application and will request further information from you if necessary (allow up to 2 weeks).
• We then send your application to external assessors (allow 4 weeks to review, depending on their workload).
• If necessary, you will be asked to update your application in line with the assessor’s comments, which will then be reviewed again by the assessors.
• If approved by the assessors, you will be invited to interview.
• If doing the remote format, you will be invited to do a technical test with us (1–2 weeks before the interview).
• You will have your interview, which will typically be 1–2 months after you were invited to interview (depending on conflicts of interest and availability this could be longer).
• The outcome is provided on the day.
• Final email confirmation and feedback is provided after the interview (allow 2 weeks).

Maintaining QP status

The annual retention fee is £100 per year, paid with your membership renewal.

We send out a yearly request for voluntary CPD submissions and you will be invited to submit. If you wish to provide a CPD submission, please fill in the CPD Submission Form. For further information about the CPD/ revalidation process, please have a look at our Guidance document or to submit a completed form please contact us.

Become an assessor

Did you know that, as a Qualified Person, you could help others in your community by becoming a volunteer assessor? If you are interested, please contact us.