Pharmacists need to build relationships to ensure GPs recommend their pharmacy to patients for the electronic prescription service (EPS), a GP has said.

But NHS regulations prevent doctors from directiong patients to nominate a particular pharmacy for their electronic prescription. They were more likely to advise a patient to use a pharmacy that they "trusted and believed in", said GP Chris Ferdinand at the Avicenna conference in Bali.

"It's about investing in that relationship with your GP, to make sure it's [about] your pharmacy that we're saying, ‘Pop down the road, he will look after you,'" Dr Ferdinand told the conference on Tuesday (May 27).

GPs are more likely to advise patients to nominate a particular pharmacy if they have a good relationship with it, the Avicenna conference heard	More on the EPS Consumers accept electronic prescribing EPS could be 'Trojan horse' for pharmacists' access to patient records Video: Are pharmacists benefiting from the electronic prescription service?
	Pharmacists needed to make it clear they were "switched on" to the health agenda in their area and ensure they built up a good relationship with their GP "even if it's around a pool table", he added.

Contractors at the conference said that it was not ideal for GPs to signpost patients to pharmacies but agreed it was inevitable that they would have an influence on which pharmacy their patients used for EPS.

Jagdish Kanani, of Cranston Pharmacy in Thornton Heath, said it was "human nature" for GPs to judge a pharmacy based on the service it provided and directing EPS prescriptions was "happening all the time".

"Some are doing it for the right reasons, so the patients get what they need. Some are doing it for the wrong reasons – where they have connections with the pharmacies or where they are eating and drinking together," he told C+D.

Contractor Makinder Suri, of Grewal Pharmacy in Windsor, said her business benefitted from being favoured by her local GP.

"Politically it is worrying, but if a business invests in giving continuous quality of care to patients then the GP respects that. Why would you say no?" she told C+D.

Ritesh Shah, owner of Onestop Pharmacy in Watford, agreed that he was on "good terms" with his local GP and this could occasionally lead to a positive bias towards his pharmacy.

Under NHS regulations published in 2005, prescribers using EPS must not persuade a patient to nominate a dispensing site they have recommended. If prescribers are asked to recommend a pharmacy, they must provide a list of those that operate EPS in the area, the NHS said.

Last year, PSNC, Pharmacy Voice and the BMA also issued guidelines warning GPs and pharmacists not to be complicit in directing prescriptions.

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