The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7188 p311-320
9 March 2002

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NPA calls for private PGDs for pharmacists

The Medicines Control Agency has been asked by the National Pharmaceutical Association to consider allowing pharmacists to use patient group directions (PGDs) to supply prescription medicines outside National Health Service arrangements.

Commenting on MCA proposals to extend PGDs to certain non-NHS services (PJ, 19 January, p46), members of the NPA board decided at their February meeting that some prescription medicines which were not available on the NHS could be supplied by pharmacists via PGDs. Examples included malaria prophylaxis and zanamivir (Relenza).

Other matters considered at the meeting are reported below.

Veterinary medicines Board members were concerned at the Government view that veterinarians should be allowed to charge a fee for issuing prescriptions (PJ, 5/12 January, p6). Reports of hostility towards consumers who asked for prescriptions and charges of up to £10 negated any financial benefit from competition between veterinarians and pharmacists for dispensing. Board members opposed possible changes to the classification system for veterinary medicines. They also opposed European proposals to make all medicines for food producing animals prescription only, believing that pharmacy classification was the correct way forward.

Local scrutiny All proposals for NHS one-stop centres should be referred to the local authority overview and scrutiny committees (OSCs) that were to be set up. Such centres would significantly shift medical services in local communities and could devastate local pharmacies, leading to loss of high street services. In deprived areas this could lead to closure of shops that relied on the footfall generated by neighbouring pharmacies.

Vital villages Village pharmacies that met relevant criteria were eligible for grants of up to £25,000 from the Countryside Agency's Vital Villages Scheme, board members were told.