Consent to share 

When sharing safeguarding concerns with partner agencies, the GPhC advises pharmacists to seek the individual's consent wherever possible. However, disclosure without consent is permitted if obtaining consent would undermine the purpose of disclosure – for example, where action is required in the public interest. Pharmacists should also consider the potential harm of not disclosing the information. 

To request consent, pharmacists might say: 

 "I'm concerned about your safety and have a duty to discuss this with others who may be able to help you. Would you be OK with this?" 

In cases where a patient refuses to grant consent to information sharing and the pharmacist believes that they are at a high risk, they might want to say something like: 

"I understand that you'd rather I didn't tell anyone, but my role is to make sure you are safe. As I'm worried about what you've told me, I do need to share this with e.g. the safeguarding team".