Some online pharmacy businesses are flourishing, with the pandemic further priming the field for distance-selling outlets.

C+D reported in April 2020 that both Pharmacy2U and Echo – now called Lloydsdirect – recorded an exponential growth in electronic prescription service (EPS) nominations at the start of the pandemic.

However, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) recently revealed that as of last month, there were 187 open fitness-to-practise cases linked to 83 online pharmacies and involving 84 registrants.

Meanwhile, in December last year, the GPhC said it was considering “differentiated fees options to cover the increased regulation needed for online pharmacies”.

Sector experts Ian Strachan, pharmacist and owner of Strachans Chemists in the north west of England, and Stuart Gale – chief pharmacist, owner and manager of Oxford Online Pharmacy, part of the Frost Pharmacy Group, which also includes local community pharmacies – have confirmed their attendance as speakers.

Join your pharmacy peers on June 14 to discuss:

• Whether community pharmacies should embrace the digital model
• How traditional pharmacy models and new ones can co-exist and collaborate
• What safety improvements online pharmacies should implement
• What community pharmacies could learn from online outlets

C+D’s ninth Big Debate will be chaired by digital reporter Eliza Loukou between 7 and 8pm.

Join in by heading to the C+D Community using your usual C+D login, or register for free now.