This site is intended for Healthcare Professionals only

Supervision plans are “healthcare on the cheap”, says NPA

Latest bookmark icon off

Supervision plans are “healthcare on the cheap”, says NPA

The NPA has reacted with alarm to the disclosure of confidential documents that contain plans to allow prescription medicines to be supplied to patients without the supervision of a pharmacist.

The trade body called the proposals “dubious” and “irresponsible”.

The draft proposals, from a Department of Health rebalancing board working group established by the four chief pharmaceutical officers, would allow pharmacy technicians to conduct clinical assessments of prescriptions in addition to the assembly of medicines and their handover to patients, said the NPA.

NPA chairman, Ian Strachan, said: “Pharmacists intervene on millions of occasions each year to prevent prescribing errors. Without those interventions there is no doubt that some patients would come to serious harm. Medicines have the power to harm as well as heal and it’s irresponsible even to contemplate downgrading safety procedures in pharmacies.

“Pharmacy technicians play an important role in many pharmacy teams, but this is not the same role as the pharmacist, who undergoes years of pharmacological training in order to qualify. The curriculum for technicians is very different.

“The same dubious thinking behind these proposals also sits behind cuts to pharmacy funding in England and the Government’s support for online pharmacies. It’s all about healthcare on the cheap.

“The Secretary of State himself stated last month that there are no plans to remove pharmacist supervision of medicines supply. Now it transpires that plans to downgrade medicines safety procedures are still on the table. Jeremy Hunt must now tell his officials to get in line with the commitments he himself has made on patient safety.”

Any discussions on changing roles within the pharmacy team should be “open and transparent”, the GPhC commented.

 

Copy Link copy link button

Latest

Discover the latest pharmacy news with daily updates and information to keep you in the know.

Share: