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STEPHEN LUTENER, head of professional conduct, Royal Pharmaceutical Society, states:

The Medicines Control Agency has recently consulted the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and others on its proposals to introduce legislation which would permit the photocopying or downloading of patient information leaflets. This was one of a number of measures considered, which would aid compliance with the requirement that all supplies of medicines are accompanied by a PIL. Other measures being considered include encouraging prescribers to adopt patient pack quantities when writing prescriptions, and permitting “rounding” by pharmacists where amounts prescribed do not correspond with patient packs.

The Society does not believe that photocopying leaflets is a solution to the problems facing pharmacists because of professional and practical difficulties. In making our response, we have repeated our offer to the Department of Health and the Medicines Control Agency to meet to discuss ways forward, since we are all in agreement that it is necessary to provide a PIL with every medicine supplied, in order to fully inform, and therefore protect the patient.