The Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s decision to “renew the debate” on the issue of making P medicines available for self-selection is “both premature and dangerous,” the Pharmacists’ Defence Association has said. 

In a statement this week, the PDA announced that it was launching its own survey on the topic two weeks after the RPS issued a call for evidence, which in turn was sparked by an outcry after it emerged the Society’s board had discussed a potential policy shift at a meeting in June.  

The PDA said it was “astounded” that the RPS had not involved the wider pharmacy profession before discussing this “contentious topic,” arguing that facilitated self-selection poses a number of risks to patients and pharmacists, several of which the RPS itself identified in 2013 when considering the issue.  

The PDA, which described the Society’s summary of the arguments for and against the policy change as “riddled with flaws and risks,” said it “does not support” allowing pharmacy owners “who may not be involved in the day-to-day operations of a pharmacy” to “set the principles where a responsible pharmacist may be asked to allow the open selection of P medicines in a pharmacy”. 

The organisation warned of “a risk of commercial targets being introduced over professional considerations” and said: “There must never be a situation where pharmacists should be placed under any pressure to supply or allow a supply of medicines to a patient because they feel they have no other choice.

“All supplies of P medicines must, and should, always be made using a clinical assessment of the patient’s condition.”

For its part, the RPS claims it was obliged to review its policy after it discovered the GPhC had made the ‘deeply disappointing’ decision to allow “hundreds of pharmacies” to trial self-selection. 

The RPS said in June that it was “continuing to consider our current position, which is currently at odds with the regulator, and the practice taking place in a significant number of pharmacies” and explained that its call for evidence is aimed at ensuring that “any potential forthcoming changes to our professional guidance are truly evidence-based”.

The PDA survey is open until August 2, while the RPS call for evidence is accepting submissions until September 6.