People who are unhappy with their treatment by a pharmacist or member of pharmacy staff can complain in several ways. They can complain to the pharmacy company, which must have a standard operating procedure (SOP) in place for dealing with complaints (see How to handle a complaint). Or they can complain officially through the NHS complaints system via the local PCT or health board. If a complaint is not resolved, then a complainant can refer the problem to the health service ombudsman. Some complaints were also referred from PCTs and health boards to the GPhC over the past year, the C+D FOI investigation found. On top of this, patients can also make civil claims against an individual or a company. Read more about the subject in our feature, 'Customer complaints uncovered'.
 Practice Pharmacy experts said it was "inevitable" that GPs would push ethical boundaries as they took on more business interests, after the GMC revealed that complaints against doctors had risen by a quarter in 2011. |
 People While NHS figures show an 8 per cent rise in the number of complaints made against GPs, GPhC data indicates an 8 per cent fall in those against pharmacists. |
 Customer complaints Complaints against pharmacists could be being fuelled by problems arising as the sector struggles to cope with stock shortages and workload stress, pharmacy groups have warned following a C+D investigation. |
 Customer complaints Errors led to 20 per cent of complaints made to PCTs, C+D investigation reveals |
 Multiples The complainant said the advertisements in question included indications for use, but that the homeopathic products were not licensed with indications. |
 Written complaints from patients about GP and dental practices in England have remained steady over the past year, with 50,708 complaints made between April 1, last year and March 31, 2011 |
 The NHS complaints system will need a "complete overhaul" to provide patients with an effective appeals process, the Commons health committee has announced. The health service ombudsman should... |
 Escalating legal costs are causing increasing problems for pharmacists caught up in compensation claims, according to both the NPA and the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA). The value... |
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Researchers have discovered that aqueous cream BP used by eczema sufferers can make the condition worse, report the Daily Mail and the Independent. The Guardian and the Independent ... |
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Eating broccoli and plantain could reduce bouts of Crohn’s disease as certain types of soluble fibre in them can help prevent bacteria from sticking to the gut's wall, The Daily Telegraph ... |
More News
 With the NHS under fire for mishandling patient complaints, now is the time to check your response procedures are up to scratch |
 You can’t please all of the people all of the time – so make sure you’re able to handle complaints with our five-point guide |
 Are we beginning to follow the lead of the Consumers’ Association and exert our rights on the high street? Or are we – to quote our Antipodean cousins – a nation of whingeing poms? |
 Gary Paragpuri The world wide web has spawned a generation of 'informed patients' who know their rights, and this (for now) small minority is increasingly exercising their right to complain |
 As patient complaints against pharmacies rise, Hannah Flynn looks at the ways in which customers can register their grievances and how you can best handle them |
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