“Millions of patients” would face cuts in services if proposals outlined in the white paper went ahead, the Dispensing Doctors’ Association (DDA) has warned.

The association said plans to change the rules around dispensing practices would “overall reduce patients’ access and choice”.

The comments came as the DDA responded to the Department of Health consultation April’s pharmacy white paper. 

Rules changes in the document  would stop practices dispensing where there is a pharmacy close to the surgery. The DDA said this will threaten services, and called for the current regulations to remain in place.

They said keeping the status quo was the only option that allowed dispensing doctors and pharmacists to work “incrementally towards full co-operation and collaboration” while maintaining the current stability.

The DDA also suggested considering the benefits of “pharmacist placement (not necessarily a pharmacy) in every surgery - making the pharmacist part of the primary health care team”.

And the association felt allowing dispensing practices to provide GSL products was a “logical change”.

The CCA and AIMp also submitted their response to the consultation this week. The groups said a “lack of detail” around the establishment of pharmaceutical needs assessments made it difficult to decide whether DH cost/benefit assessments were correct.