The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has vowed to take its petition against P medicine self-selection "as high as it needs" for the move to be reconsidered.

PDA director John Murphy said he expected thousands of pharmacists to support the union's petition, launched last Friday (July 12), which aims to make the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) reconsider its decision to allow P medicines into open display areas next year.

The GPhC has stressed that patient safety will be its priority and it will only allow self-selection in pharmacies where "key safeguards" are in place. The plans form part of the regulator's aim to move away from "prescriptive, rules-based regulation".

"We are going to take this [petition] as high as we need to, to make sure our voices are heard" John Murphy, PDA	More on P med self-selection GPhC brands P med rules anachronistic in defence       of self-selection Which way forward for pharmacy? Boots quizzes customers on P med self-selection MORE NEWS
	But Mr Murphy said it would be dangerous to ignore opposition to the move from the PDA and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, which have both voiced concerns over the impact on patient safety.

He argued that the GPhC should either retract its decision or, "at the very least", launch a more extensive consultation on the matter. The PDA said many pharmacists had been unaware of the plans, as last year's GPhC's consultation on new premises standards made only an "incidental reference" to allowing self-selection.

The PDA claimed members had expressed "unequivocal" concerns about the proposals at its roadshows on P medicine self-selection, which took place across England, Scotland and Wales in May. It said the plans would make it harder for pharmacists to prevent inappropriate sales and create a greater tension between commercial gains and patient safety.

The GPhC was "duty-bound" to listen to the profession's concerns, Mr Murphy told C+D. "We are going to take this [petition] as high as we need to to make sure our voices are heard," he pledged.

The petition had 45 signatures at the time of publishing and Mr Murphy said there was no set closing date, but the PDA would look at taking it to the GPhC in autumn at the earliest.

Aston University pharmacy lecturer Joseph Bush, who has signed the petition, expressed doubts over the outcome. "I'm not very confident it will change their minds – [the GPhC] seem to be quite truculent," he said.

"The issue is the GPhC has consistently refused to provide a rationale behind allowing self-selection," Mr Bush told C+D. "It seems like a government-led fad, almost."

The GPhC said pharmacies would need to carefully manage risks and maintain patient safety if they decided to put P medicines on open display. "We are working to introduce a completely new way of inspecting pharmacies so that we can be assured that owners of pharmacies and superintendents are living up to these standards," said GPhC chief executive Duncan Rudkin.

In April, Mr Rudkin said the GPhC was keen to focus on outcomes, rather than set rules for P medicines display, because prescriptive regulation was "part of the past".

Will you be signing the PDA's petition against self-selection? Comment below or email us at [email protected] You can also find C+D on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook