Pharmacists have hit out at multiples that offer reward points for signing up to repeat prescription schemes, with three quarters of C+D readers polled branding the practice unethical.

The poll of 485 readers revealed that 75 per cent were against multiples, including Boots and Tesco, offering customers reward points for signing up, as only 19 per cent said it made "good business sense" and 6 per cent were unsure.

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	But while the Independent Pharmacy Federation (IPF) slammed the schemes for "inducing patients", lawyers said it did not legally constitute an inducement to hand in prescriptions. Boots defended its offer as "rewarding loyalty" and Tesco highlighted that other pharmacies offered incentives to use their repeat prescription schemes, such as free delivery.

The claims were rejected by IPF chair Fin McCaul, who argued that the lure of reward points prevented independents and multiples from competing on a level playing field. "It's symptomatic of the larger groups exerting their muscle power to try to induce patients to provide a pharmaceutical service," he told C+D.

"Sometimes these inducements are being marketed heavily to try to recruit patients and encourage them to leave their normal pharmacy."

Law firm Charles Russell revealed that it had received a rise in enquiries about the legalities of offering loyalty points for sign-up to repeat prescription schemes. But it stressed that the offers did not go against the NHS code of practice, which forbids any inducement to provide a pharmaceutical service, as patients could sign up to a repeat prescription service and choose not to use it.

"We've always been fairly comfortable with [the practice] as long as the signing up to the collection and delivery service isn't linked in any way to the handing in of a prescription," Charles Russell partner Noel Wardle told C+D.

Boots offers Advantage Card points to customers who sign up to its service in England and Wales, and stressed that the technique offered value to customers. "[We] believe that recognising loyalty is just one way we give our customers really good value across a combination of products to meet their health and beauty needs," a spokesperson said.

Tesco does not currently offer Clubcard points for sign-up to its repeat prescription service, but the supermarket confirmed it did use them "occasionally". "Many pharmacies offer free delivery, so it's just an incentive of a different type," said Tesco superintendent Adrian Price.