The General Pharmaceutical Council cautioned market stakeholders about “serious patient safety concerns” with the distribution of online prescriptions in European Economic Area countries.

Claire Bryce-Smith, an inspections director for GPhC (General Pharmaceutical Council), said legal action had been sanctioned against over 40 pharmacies since April 2019 regarding their online services after guidelines were changed.

“ GPhC said legal action had been sanctioned against over 40 pharmacies since April 2019 regarding their online services after guidelines were changed “

GPhC’s standards and expectations, including protecting at-risk patients, were not met by pharmacies following reviews. The inspections showed that a significant minority placed patients “at risk of serious harm or death”.

A noteworthy example would be the online pharmacy ‘Clear Chemist’ supplying transgender hormones prescribed by GenderGP (an e-commerce surgery).

Claire Bryce-Smith said: “The majority of these pharmacies were working with online prescribing services that were prescribing medicines which are liable to abuse, misuse and overuse to people, on the basis of an online questionnaire.” The GPhC is “continuing to act quickly” on information regarding online pharmacies. It is “not enough to meet legal requirements only relating to EEA prescriptions… pharmacy professionals are responsible for ensuring all medicines they supply are clinically appropriate for patients”.

Mark Pitt, PDA director of defence at The Pharmacists’ Defence Association, said, “Our employment legal team are also representing pharmacist whistle-blowers who are concerned about poor patient care, through swift and effective intervention to protect their legal position.”