With the recent surge in online websites proffering online pharmacy services, there have been several legal issues lurking in hindsight. There has also been a proliferation of fake websites, leading to buy and sell of illicit or counterfeit drugs. As these issues become grave, risking the lives of patients across the UK, the authorities took a bold step to ensure that the propagation of such fake platforms forestalled on an immediate basis.
General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has recently issued the updated guidance applicable for those providing pharmacies services at a distance, including those propelling on the web. The guidance has been issued shortly after the GPhC appreciated the chief executive of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and their current aim to include online pharmacies within the umbrella of their regulation. This guidance and regulations aim to gap the close current loopholes present in the services of online pharmacies. With these regulations, it is evident that there is a heavy focus on the regulation of this type of service at present, and the regulatory landscape is likely to continue to revolutionize moving forwards.
The updated guidance centers on streamlining the processes that are currently in place to undergo identity checks on those purchasing medicines online. The strengthened process empowers the buyers by making them aware that there are processes in place to entertain complaints about drugs that are inappropriate. This regulation also stresses to identify multiple orders to the same address or using the same payment details in order to spot possible drug misuse.
Significantly, these regulation necessitates the online pharmacies to change the user interface of their websites to ensure that a patient is restricted from choosing a prescription-only medicine and set a limit of its quantity if there have been no consultations with the prescriber. There also have been protections instigated relating to specific categories of prescription-only medicines. This is to determine that the consumed medications are clinically suitable. Predictably, this includes antibiotics for its resistance problems, drug medication that is liable to abuse, overuse or misuse, medicines that require ongoing monitoring or management and non-surgical cosmetic, medicinal products, such as botox.
There is also an emphasis on transparency and patient choice, implying the pharmacies owners will be obligated to provide deeper insights into the whereabouts of their services and the health professionals responsible for prescribing and delivering the medicine. Online pharmacies must give each bit of the detail on their websites along with revealing their regulation and licenses.
The GPhC and the CQC also keeps an eye on the online pharmacy sector to ensure that the services are not involved in any sort of unlawful activities. If a service is carrying out activities that could be deemed as ‘‘treatment of disease, disorder, or injury,’ then it will not be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). These regulations are in the public interest, as the future of online pharmacies is all bright and has potential, especially in this age, where most of the purchases are now happening online for everything. An example of the movement towards more online pharmaceutical purchases is The Independent Pharmacy. The pharmacy is owned and operated by two UK pharmacists, Andy Boysan and Scott McDougall and has been moving from strength to strength since it’s foundation in 2013. Notably The Independent Pharmacy is regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), registered with the National Pharmaceutical Association (NPA), and is also regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The ease of purchasing prescription medicine online is likely going to be the preferred method by the general public in the years to come, and therefore, an enhancement in the regulatory oversight is essential for this expanding sector, explicitly when it deals with the health and wellbeing of the general public.
