Chief pharmacists clash over P meds self-selection
Practice Great Britiain's chief pharmacists clashed at the RPS conference over the GPhC’s plans to allow open displays of pharmacy-only medicines, when England's Keith Ridge (pictured) argued that the proposals “could work”
Great Britain's chief pharmaceutical officers have clashed over plans to allow the self-selection of pharmacy-only (P) medicines.
NHS England's Keith Ridge faced opposition at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's conference on Monday when he argued that open displays could work in the UK and had already worked in countries such as Australia.
Wales' chief pharmaceutical officer Roger Walker warned the General Pharmaceutical Council's (GPhC's) plans, due to come into force next year, could lead to a loss of confidence in the P category. Scotland's chief pharmaceutical officer Bill Scott also stressed it would be "foolish" to dismiss RPS opposition to the move.
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"This is an opportunity to think differently about self-selection" Keith Ridge, NHS England |
 More on P medicines self-selection
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Professor Scott warned that individual pharmacists could be left powerless to prevent medicines going on self-selection. "It should be the pharmacist's decision in that pharmacy whether P medicines get put on display or not, not the people at the head office," he stressed. |
Scots review will help fight commercialism in
pharmacy, PDA claimsStrengthening the P category would be a better way forward, Professor Scott argued. "I see P medicines primarily as tools of the pharmacist, not for the footfall of retail," he said. "I think we've got to respect these medicines and if they can be self-selected and you can have a nodding dog saying ‘yes', then it shouldn't be a P medicine, it should be GSL."
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Professor Walker backed Professor Scott's comments and warned that pharmacy-only medicines should not be perceived as "freely available", or it could make the MHRA wary of putting medicines in the category. Dr Ridge acknowledged fears over the proposals, but he urged the profession not to dismiss them outright. "The theory would be that community pharmacy operates in a system that protects the public and having self-selection could work," he argued. "I hear the concerns about the difference between idealism and reality but, at the end of the day, I think there's an opportunity here to think differently about self-selection of P medicines," he said. Pharmacists' Defence Association chair Mark Koziol asked whether the regulator should listen to the RPS's fears over jeopardising patient trust. Dr Ridge responded: "Should the [GPhC] listen? Well of course, but there will be other views and I'm sure the council will listen and will make the right decision." |
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Self-selection: the story so farThe GPhC first voiced its intention to allow P medicines into open display areas in February 2012, as part of its proposals to introduce new premises standards. A consultation on the issue had revealed a diverse range of opinions, the GPhC said, and it set out plans to start allowing self-selection by October this year.However, the plans faced stumbling blocks. Not only was there opposition from high-profile bodies such as the RPS and PDA, but delays in getting legislation agreed made it impossible to meet the October deadline.The GPhC now intends to introduce self-selection by 2014, and has started work to produce guidance for moving P medicines into open display areas. But it is mulling a further consultation on its premises standards and has acknowledged self-selection remains "a concern for some within pharmacy". |
The PDA has already gathered more than 4,000 signatures in its petition to stop P medicine self-selection.
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