Pharmacy Voice has pledged to continue to push for prescription direction to be "outlawed".

The organisation was pleased by an NHS England poster sent to all pharmacies and GP practices to raise patients' awareness of prescription direcion, it said last week. But Pharmacy Voice policy director Elizabeth Wade told C+D on Monday (October 12) that it is "clear that further strong action" is required.

Pharmacy Voice has set up a specific group tasked with "building widespread support for regulatory action" to prevent health professionals from influencing where patients collect their prescriptions, Ms Wade stressed. The group met for the first time in May, she added.

The organisation is also involved in the establishment of an NHS England working group to "tackle prescription direction by voluntary means", she said. However, this group will turn to "regulatory activities" if this approach fails, Ms Wade said.

She pointed out that Pharmacy Voice had already developed a "dossier of prescription direction evidence" and produced a joint statement with pharmacy and GP bodies condemning the practice 

A C+D poll in May revealed that eight in 10 readers believe GPs are influencing where patients collect their prescriptions.
 

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