DHSC issues call for evidence on ‘safety and quality’ of private prescribing

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a UK-wide call for evidence on how non-NHS prescribing and supply mechanisms are meeting their needs.

This includes prescriptions written by prescribers registered in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland whose prescriptions are dispensed in the UK; private prescriptions written by UK prescribers; and medicines supplied through private patient group directions (PGDs) outside of the NHS.

A foreword from the UK chief pharmaceutical officers (CPhO’s) said: ‘We know that these routes can offer convenience, flexibility and choice to people when accessing an increasing range of medicines. However, we want to ensure that improving convenience and choice does not inadvertently reduce safety or quality of care.’

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They added that they wanted to use the call for evidence to explore the impact these routes of prescribing have on the ‘safety of people accessing medicines’ and the ‘quality of care that people receive’.

Anyone can respond to this call for evidence, but the government is particularly interested in the views of health and social care professionals, regulators, academics, providers, employers and stakeholder organisations.

The Company Chemists’ Association (CCA) welcomed the move from government and said it hoped it would help ensure all private prescribing adhered with UK standards and regulations.

The CCA told The Pharmacist it does not expect this consultation to place restrictions on safe and appropriate prescribing, but rather ‘address the small minority of cases where poor practice may impact patient safety’.

Malcolm Harrison, chief executive of the CCA, said: ‘We are aware that a small minority of pharmacies work with prescribers, often from overseas, who at times may not fully adhere to UK regulations and standards.  This puts patients at risk of harm.

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‘We hope that this consultation will help to address the matter of private prescribing that does not conform with UK standards and regulations, whilst maintaining patients’ access to high-quality private services.’

The DHSC are using this call for evidence to assess:

• The efficacy of existing mechanisms for the oversight and regulation of private prescribing;
• The impact of existing arrangements on patient safety and access to medicines;
• How private prescribing by UK and EEA registered healthcare professionals and the use of private PGDs affect the quality of care received by patients.

Reponses will also build the evidence base around associated themes such as misuse of medicines, counterfeit medicines, and inappropriate advertising, which have been a growing concern among pharmacists.

In June, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) issued a warning over unregulated cosmetic treatments, and the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) said these reports resonated with concerns about patients accessing ‘high risk medications’, such as weight loss jobs from unregulated sources.

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Last week, the chief pharmacy officer at the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) also wrote to members of the sector, highlighting issues with the shipping of medicines on private prescription to countries in which they are illegal.

Responses can be submitted via an online survey, which will close at 11.59pm on 4 November 2025.