EXCLUSIVE

Regulators should take “much firmer” action against healthcare professionals who influence where patients collect their prescription, Pharmacy Voice has said.

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and NHS England have both received complaints about the practice of prescription direction, but “we haven’t seen anything come out the other end”, claimed Pharmacy Voice spokesperson Gareth Jones.

The GPhC confirmed to C+D that it has received complaints about prescription direction in the past year but could not specify how many. None of these complaints resulted in a fitness-to-practise hearing during this period, it said.

GPhC chief executive Duncan Rudkin said the regulator has been "involved in discussions" with NHS England, doctor regulator the General Medical Council (GMC), the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) and Pharmacy Voice to consider how to deal with healthcare professionals "inappropriately influencing" patients.

Mr Jones told C+D that if complaints are failing to meet the GPhC’s and GMC's standard for fitness-to-practise action, they should “seek new powers” to sanction those involved. 

"Hugely damaging"

Most patients who are influenced by pharmacists or GPs about where to collect their prescription “don’t understand what’s happened to them”, he told C+D.

“If more people understood what was going on, it would be hugely damaging to the reputation of both pharmacists and general practice, so it is an issue for the regulators,” he said.

Pharmacy Voice is “scouring the country” for evidence of the practice, but it is difficult to get patients to come forward because they fear being “struck off their GP’s list” if they speak out, he said.

“We know some patients have gone directly to the GMC or the GPhC [to] make a complaint, but we don’t think any of those have got very far,” he added.

The GPhC urged anyone concerned about prescription direction to contact NHS England or the "relevant NHS bodies in Wales and Scotland". "There is a clear process in place so they can refer to us any concerns that our standards have not been met," it added.

A C+D poll in May revealed that almost eight in 10 pharmacists believe GPs are influencing where patients collect their prescriptions.