Patients 'scared' to confront GPs about prescription direction, say LPCs
The practice can only be prevented by effective regulation, representatives told the annual LPC conference
EXCLUSIVEPatients are "scared" to confront GPs who try to influence where they collect their prescriptions, LPCs have said. This meant effective regulation was the only way to end prescription direction, pharmacy representatives told C+D at the LPC conference in Leeds yesterday (October 15). "They feel [the GP] will take them off the list or not treat them properly. A patient will never take action against his doctor on such an issue, if a doctor puts some pressure on them they will always follow [the doctor]," he told C+D. Stockport LPC chairman Peter Marks told the conference that patients were "embarrassed" to talk about prescription direction with GPs. Pharmacists and GPs involved in these schemes would not stop until there were "effective sanctions" to use against them, he stressed. Oldham, Tameside and Glossop LPC chief officer Ian Short told the conference that pharmacists must display posters and leaflets that educated the public that "nobody can tell them which pharmacy to go to". Hertfordshire LPC chief officer Helen Musson said enforcing regulation was the only solution. Even if patients were educated about the problems of prescription direction they would still not "veer away" from what their GP told them, she said. "Vulnerable [patients] still won't understand and we have to think about protecting those individuals. The only way to do it is through regulation," she told C+D. Mounting pressureKent LPC CEO Mike Keen said doctors were "very good" at getting patient associations to stand outside their surgeries and persuade people to use a specific pharmacy, which put further pressure on them. Regulation was needed, but educating patients still had a part to play, he said.GMC guidance on conflicts of interest advises GPs that have a commercial interest in a pharmacy or dispensary to ensure they do not influence a patient's choice of healthcare services. In July, GPs joined forces with pharmacy bodies to call for the Department of Health (DH) to "urgently consider" action against prescription direction schemes.The groups drew attention to C+D's coverage of a venture by online prescription business Pharmacy2U, which offers surgeries a stake in its repeat prescription service. Pharmacy2U later hit back at opponents to its venture, claiming they were stiffling innovation to protect their own commercial interests.
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