At the RPS Board meeting 19th June, a discussion took place in the Open Business section of the agenda on the self-selection of P medicines.
Enabled by the General Pharmaceutical Council, we understand that hundreds of pharmacies, from large multiples to small independents, have been approved by the regulator to enable patients to self-select certain P medicines. In each case, the sale of the P medicine is still required to take place within registered premises and under the supervision of a pharmacist.
RPS was deeply disappointed to learn of this monumental change in practice without wider communication from the regulator to the profession, patients and the public. This change was identified by the RPS as a potential risk to patients and out of step with the policy and professional guidance offered to RPS members and the profession.
As a result, the RPS invited the GPhC and a pharmacy contractor to inform the three National Pharmacy Boards and describe the patient safety assurances that have enabled the regulator to approve this change.
GPhC have stated that ‘self-selection of P Medicines would not be compatible with our regulatory standards without key safeguards being in place’. RPS sought to understand in more detail what these safeguards were and how they operated. As a result of these changes implemented by the regulator, the facilitated sale of P medicines is allowed legally and accepted by GPhC pharmacy inspectors.
The Boards were provided with information about the processes, staff training and safeguarding approaches that the GPhC inspectors considered in allowing greater access to P medicines by the public, including the safeguards to ensure certain medications, such as codeine containing products, emergency hormonal contraception and sildenafil, are excluded from self-selection.
As pharmacies adopt changes to practice, including around direct access to P-medicines, they must ensure that patient safety is at the forefront of consideration and that pharmacists are empowered to use their own professional judgement.
We are committed to patient safety and the safe development of innovative practice to meet the needs of patients now and for the future. As new evidence emerges, professional bodies need to ensure that their guidance and advice meet the need of the profession and are reflective of evolving practice, without compromising patient safety.
The RPS is continuing to consider our current position, which is now clearly at odds with the regulator, and the practice taking place in a significant number of pharmacies, and we will be issuing a call for evidence very shortly to ensure any potential forthcoming changes to our professional guidance are truly evidence based.
Under the Medicines Act (1968) a pharmacy medicine (P Medicine), is a medicinal product that can be sold from a registered pharmacy premises by a pharmacist or a person acting under the supervision of a pharmacist. (Part III, Section 52). However, the legislation does not prohibit self-selection of these medications, leaving that to the regulator.