The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 276 No 7384 p61
21 January 2006

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New violence offence set to cover pharmacies

Laws designed to protect emergency services workers and public servants from attack are to be extended to pharmacists and community pharmacy staff, the Home Office has confirmed.

A new offence will aim to ensure that, as currently happens with the police, all assaults on such staff when on duty will be vigorously prosecuted, while more low-level verbal abuse will attract £100 fixed penalty notices. The move was included in the Prime Minister’s launch last week of his “Respect Agenda” intended to tackle anti-social behaviour.

At first it appeared that the measure would only apply to doctors, nurses, accident and emergency staff, ambulance crews, firefighters, benefit office workers, teachers and bus drivers.

But the office of Home Office minister Hazel Blears indicated that pharmacies which deal with NHS prescriptions should be included since they provide “front line” public services.

A spokesman said: “It is too early to specify exactly which category pharmacy staff will come into and ultimately that will be a matter for the courts to decide whether a victim was serving the public. But it is clearly logical that pharmacy staff should be covered because they do perform a public service.”

The Respect Agenda report said that ministers “will be working with the Sentencing Guidelines Council to ensure that the courts have guidance to deal robustly with assaults on those serving the public. We will also work with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure that prosecutors highlight to the court the guidelines in those cases where these considerations might apply.”

The report added: “A forthcoming Memorandum of Understanding between the NHS Security Management Service and the Association of Chief Police Officers will also strengthen working relationships at a local level.”