The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has introduced new safeguards to protect patients buying medication from online pharmacies.
This is to ensure the drugs are “safe and clinically appropriate”, so they are not given medicines that could cause them further harm.
GPhC’s new guidance comes after it commissioned research by YouGov, which revealed while a quarter of Brits say they are keen to use online pharmacies, those who are not have strong reservations about doing so. It found 50 per cent of those unlikely to purchase medication online are concerned about their safety.
Duncan Rudkin, chief executive of the GPhC, said: “We support pharmacy services being provided in innovative ways, including online, as long as the services are safe and effective for people. But providing services online carries particular risks which need to be successfully managed.”
To do this, the council has stipulated pharmacies have to carry out identity checks on customers purchasing medication. They should also monitor inappropriate requests for drugs, such as by those ordering repeatedly medication to the same address or with the same payment details
Additional safeguards have been put into place for those buying prescription-only medicines. For instance, the retailer will also not allow patients to buy prescription medication without a consultation with the prescriber.
Supply of antimicrobials (antibiotics); drugs that are often subject to misuse, such as opiates, laxatives, or sedatives; non-surgical cosmetic products like Botox; and medicines for on-going conditions including diabetes, epilepsy, asthma or mental health conditions will also be restricted until sale of them is deemed “clinically appropriate”.
“These safeguards include making sure the prescriber proactively shares all relevant information about the prescription with their GP after seeking the patient’s consent,” a spokesperson for the GPhC stated.
Mr Rudkin went on to say patients can put themselves at “serious risk” if they buy drugs that are not suitable for their needs.
“I would strongly urge patients and the public wanting to obtain medicines online to only use online pharmacies registered with us, to protect their health. These pharmacies have to meet our standards and follow this guidance, so they provide safe and effective services, and we will be inspecting pharmacies to make sure this is the case,” he stated.
Patients will know if the online pharmacy adheres to the regulations, as it will be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council. This will be clearly stated either on its homepage or under the ‘About Us’ section of the website. It will also have to provide its registration number as proof, and this can be checked at www.pharmacyregulation.org/registers/pharmacy for reassurance.
These regulations come after the council released a report regarding safe and effective pharmacy teams.
This summarises a meeting held in February with pharmaceutical trade, trade union and professional organisations, including pharmaceutical packaging companies, to discuss how challenges in the industry are currently posing a risk to standards.
In conclusion, the GPhC determined they need to raise more awareness about the key issues within pharmacy that may have an impact on quality and safety for patients.