The Pharmacist has outlined the risks to patient safety within the petition, which states:
“Whilst a pharmacy is open it is a fundamental patient right that a qualified pharmacist is available on site at all times to consult in person, without the need for an appointment. Patient safety would be jeopardised if a pharmacist wasn’t present in a pharmacy.
The government has proposed that pharmacists could end up signed in as the Responsible Pharmacist for more than one pharmacy at a time and therefore not physically available to patients. The government’s proposals will ultimately lead to medicines dispensing & supply taking place without the supervision of a pharmacist. This will be detrimental to patient care and safety and the legislative changes must not go ahead.”
The PDA shares the view that patient safety would be jeopardised if a pharmacist wasn’t present in a pharmacy during the medicines dispensing and supply processes. The presence of a pharmacist is fundamental to the care and safety of the public. The PDA also holds the view that if the government’s current proposals go ahead, it will inevitably lead to the dispensing and supply of medicines taking place without the supervision of a pharmacist.
We would encourage you to click the below button and sign the petition.
Related news
The Department of Health and Social Care consulted from 19 June 2018 until 11 September 2018 on changes to the way registered pharmacies operate. It proposed permitting pharmacy regulators to bring about:
- Remote pharmacist responsibility for pharmacies (leading to remote supervision)
- Pharmacists being the Responsible Pharmacist for more than one pharmacy
For more information and to read the PDA’s response to the consultation, click here.
Other useful links
PDA respond to DHSC’s dispensing errors and organisational governance consultation
Pharmacy legislation on dispensing errors and organisational governance