Fiji Repeals Specialist Practitioners Act, Restores Pharmacy Safeguards

The Fiji Pharmaceutical Society (FPS) has expressed strong approval for the recent repeal of the Registration of Specialist Practitioners Act 2016, calling it a “long-awaited and much-needed corrective step” aimed at enhancing public safety, professional integrity, and fairness for local graduates.

In its statement, the FPS explained that the Specialist Practitioners of Expatriate Credentials (SPEC) pathway was initially intended as an alternative registration system designed to facilitate skills recognition for expatriate professionals. However, the organization highlighted concerns that the SPEC system over time undermined existing health laws, eroded longstanding regulatory safeguards, and created registration processes that bypassed essential competency checks mandated by the Pharmacy Profession Board and other relevant statutory bodies.

For years, the Society has reported that the Act silenced valid concerns raised by practitioners and stakeholders who noted systemic inequities—especially regarding local graduates—and the potential exposure of the public to practitioners who had not undergone the necessary background checks, competency assessments, or verification processes stipulated by Fiji’s professional standards.

The FPS stated, “Many within the pharmacy and wider health sector argued that the Act unintentionally compromised public safety.” They emphasized that the Act permitted individuals to enter the healthcare system without the needed scrutiny to ensure that their claims of specialist skills were authentic, verified, and safe for practice.

With the repeal of the Act, the FPS affirmed that it restores the authority and effectiveness of existing regulatory mechanisms that are recognized as transparent and robust. The Society underscored that this decision by the government demonstrates a strong commitment to upholding public health standards and preserving the integrity of Fiji’s healthcare professions. This move promises to reinforce trust within the community that healthcare providers adhere to stringent standards that protect public welfare.