Society urged not to set rules for medicines displays
Providing advice is more important than whether medicines are on
open display |
Two organisations representing pharmacy companies have told the Royal Pharmaceutical Society not to be prescriptive about how medicines are displayed for sale in pharmacies.
Both the National Pharmacy Association and the Company Chemists’ Association
say that ensuring the safe use of medicines by giving advice before they
are bought is more important than whether they are on open display or
available for self-selection.
In its response to a Society consultation on self-selection of pharmacy
medicines, the CCA says that the Society should place restrictions on
the way that P medicines are made accessible to the public, but that
it should consider carefully whether it should be prescriptive over practical
matters, such as the way medicines are displayed.
“We suggest that the Society considers how to ensure that patients
and consumers receive appropriate advice and are enabled to purchase
the
medicines they need safely and effectively, rather than attempt to regulate
how medicines are displayed,” it says.
The CCA does not see allowing people to pick up packs of medicine as
synonymous with self-selection if pharmacists or suitably trained staff
are in a position to intervene before a sale takes place.
“Some might consider that it might be difficult to take medicines
from patients if they are later thought to be unsuitable by the pharmacist,
but we consider this to be a matter professionals will need to deal with
themselves, rather than form part of a professional code,” the
CCA says.
CCA chief executive Rob Darracott commented: “Limiting self-selection
is a low-tech way of ensuring the pharmacist can intervene. We recognise
that the market will want to test different ways of presenting medicines
to the public moving forward, but the key factor is maintaining the opportunity
for professional intervention.”
The NPA said that open display, rather than self-selection, is what its
members want, but that there should be differentiation in the public
eye between general sale list medicines and pharmacy medicines.
“Patient safety needs to be maintained through intervention or
advice from a member of the pharmacy team,” said Michelle Styles,
head of information at the NPA.
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