New category proposed for 'switches'

摘要

THE Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists is calling for the creation of a "pharmacy+" legal category of medicines that should only be sold to the public "with the direct, specific intervention of a pharmacist". In its response to a consultation on draft guidance airned at speeding up the reclassification of medicines, the GHP says it is concerned that the current system for switching products from prescription-only medicine to pharmacy medicine status creates inconsistencies in day-today pharmacy practice. Some POM-to-P switches are supported by professional guidance that says a pharmacist should be involved in assessing patient suitability and approving sales - but there is no legal requirement for pharmacists to be involved in the process, it says.