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The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its guidance for online pharmacies, aimed at enhancing patient safety. These changes are designed to tackle concerns associated with receiving medicines from online pharmacies, particularly those that may not be clinically appropriate and could potentially harm patients. GPhC has identified concerns relating to inappropriate supplies of weight loss medications that could pose risk to patients' health. Duncan Rudkin, Chief Executive of the GPhC, underscored the importance of addressing risks in online pharmacy services. "We know that there can be significant benefits for people using online pharmacy services to get medicines and treatment, but there are also additional risks that need to be managed, to make sure medicines and other pharmacy services are provided safely to patients and the public.

A BBC investigation has found 20 UK online pharmacies selling prescription-only medicines without adhering to the regulatory standards, such as checking for GP approval or patient's medical records. The news organisation was able to purchase over 1,600 restricted pills, including anti-anxiety drug, painkiller and sleeping medication, from these regulated online pharmacies easily by providing false information. However, the report didn't mention the names of the drugs as "they can be dangerous when taken without medical guidance." Some pharmacies were also found selling high-risk and potentially addictive medicines, including benzodiazepines and antidepressants, based on online questionnaires and did not require further checks. The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), which regulate online pharmacies in the UK, states that selling and supplying medicines at a distance brings "different risks which need to be appropriately managed to protect patient safety."

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA), representing independent community pharmacies, has called for tougher regulation of the online sale of weight loss jabs to protect patients amid a prediction of a new year's boom in demand. The association argues that current regulation "leaves the door open for medicines to be supplied without appropriate patient consultation and access to patient records." It has urged the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) to require greater consultation with patients before dispensing weight loss jabs and other high-risk medication online. The association stressed that online sellers should not just rely on information provided in online questionnaires but also gather important historical medical information before a full two-way consultation between prescriber and patient. Draft guidelines on weight loss medication The GPhC proposed changes to their current guidance for online pharmacies to improve patient safety. It launched a consultation on the revised guidance on 17 September, inviting feedback until 9 October 2024 from the public, carers, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, other healthcare professionals, and pharmacy owners. In its response to proposed guidelines on prescribing weight loss medication, the NPA highlighted critical gaps, stating that proposed safeguards "still leaves the door open for medicines to be prescribed/supplied without appropriate two-way direct patient consultation and access to patient records for a full clinical picture particularly where high-risk medicines are involved, and the risk to patient safety remains".

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has raised concerns over the rising risks related to online pharmacy services. It revealed over 30 per cent of its open Fitness to Practise (FtP) cases were related to online pharmacy, which is disproportionate to the sector of the market that online services occupy. The regulator has advised pharmacists and pharmacy owners providing online services that they should "not work with online providers who try to circumvent the regulatory oversight put in place within the UK to ensure patient safety". In the past five months, the Council has imposed seven interim orders on the registration of pharmacists who have worked for or with online prescribing services - after identifying serious concerns with their practice. It said: "These pharmacists were working as pharmacist independent prescribers for online services or were dispensing medicines prescribed online. Some of these pharmacists were the Responsible Pharmacist (RP) or the Superintendent Pharmacist (SP)."

The Pharmacists Defence Association (PDA) has welcomed the government's action of publishing 'AI Regulation White Paper' which will regulate the artificial intelligence (AI) system used in pharmacy on Wednesday (29 March). The Association had raised concerns about the risk of patient harm due to inappropriate use of so-called AI to include that seen in some of the pharmacy systems undertaking clinical checks. For some time, it has been receiving concerns from practicing pharmacists describing examples of the potentially detrimental impact of automation and online pharmacy provision on patient safety and pharmacy practice. As a result, it raised these concerns with regulators, Chief Pharmaceutical Officers, and parliamentarians in all four nations of the UK to urge action. It said: "This is required not only to protect patients, but also the frontline pharmacists who could be blamed for potential harm caused by inappropriate use of so called 'AI' systems implemented by their employer." The PDA therefore, welcomes the announcement from the UK government that they intend to strengthen regulation of such technology, empowering existing regulators to come up with tailored, context-specific approaches that suit the way AI is actually being used in their sectors; this will include pharmacy.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has cautioned against buying weight-loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, unregistered pharmacy websites or social media platforms as such products could pose "serious health risks." Consumers are reminded that the only safe way to obtain genuine weight-loss medication is through a legitimate pharmacy, including licensed online pharmacies, with a prescription from a qualified healthcare professional. To combat the illegal sale of these medicines, the MHRA's Criminal Enforcement Unit is working closely with social media platforms, technology companies, the police and Border Force. Andy Morling, MHRA deputy director of Criminal Enforcement, highlighted the dangers of purchasing these medications from unverified sources: "At this time of year, with many of us thinking about shedding a little excess weight, we see people offering weight loss medicines for sale as a quick fix, without a healthcare professional's prescription, from beauty salons, websites and on social media. "These are not cosmetic treatments; they are powerful medicines that can only be legally and safely dispensed against a prescription issued by a healthcare professional."

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has published updated guidance on online pharmacy services in Great Britain, introducing additional safeguards to prevent unsafe supply of high-risk medicines, including weight loss injections. Under the new rules, medicines used for weight-management and medicines requiring physical examination before a prescribing decision is made have been added to the list of high-risk medicines. When prescribing these medicines, prescribers can no longer rely solely on online questionnaires. Instead, they must independently verify patient information, either through timely two-way communication with the person, accessing the person's clinical records, or contacting the person's GP, their regular prescriber, or a third-party provider. These measures aim to prevent individuals from providing false information to obtain medicines that may not be clinically appropriate for them, reducing potential harm. The pharmacy regulator updated its guidance in response to concerns identified relating to unsafe prescribing and supply of medicines online.

To increase efficiency savings, digital men's health provider Numan has joined forces with Invatech Health to deploy the health tech company's cutting-edge software Titan. Launched in early 2019, Numan provides medication for 175,000 patients via its Cardiff-based fulfilment operation. A team of its clinicians create personalised treatment plans for the most common male health concerns. In a statement, Invatech said its Titan software could deliver 20 per cent efficiency savings for Numan whilst supporting the company's ambitious growth plans with improved safety and scalability in processing medications. The new partnership also comes alongside 100 new contracts with community pharmacies around the UK. Andrew Caple, director of Pharmacy Operations at of Numan, said: "Our findings show that three quarters of men will not visit a doctor when they have a health concern, and we therefore recognise that the online market provides a great opportunity to tackle these problems.

"Our main concerns are that the use of what they call an asynchronous supply, where the prescriber neither sees nor talks to the patient at the time they issue the prescription, does lay itself open to perhaps people getting hold of medication that they shouldn't," the Head of Policy, PDA said. The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) engages in a critical conversation on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, shedding light on the online prescribing of weight loss drugs and advocating for safer practices. The PDA's spokesperson, Head of Policy Alima Batchelor, emphasised the importance of adhering to professional guidelines to ensure patient safety and mitigate regulatory concerns. During the feature, the PDA highlighted the complexities and risks associated with online supply chains, stressing the necessity for direct clinical consultations and pharmacist involvement in medication management. ""There are guidelines and advice about verification within the DiCE guidance, but it doesn't go quite far enough for us. We are concerned when patients decline to allow the online prescriber to advise their GP of what they're taking," Batchelor highlighted.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) confirmed that Ozempic has been found at two UK wholesalers on 18 October. The pre-filled falsely labelled pens have been purchased from legitimate suppliers in Austria and Germany. However, there has been no evidence that fake Ozempic has been supplied to UK patients. Dr Alison Cave, MHRA Chief Safety Officer spoke about closely with regulatory partners to ensure patients' safety. He said: "Buying semaglutide from illegally trading online suppliers significantly increases the risk of getting a product either falsified or not licensed for use in the UK. "Products purchased in this way will not meet our strict quality and safety standards, and taking such medicines may put your health at risk," he added.

The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) says the pharmacy regulator should maintain a two-year post qualification eligibility criteria, in addition to the qualitative measures being introduced which would be in the best interest of patient safety, before a pharmacist is allowed to commence an IP course. The association was responding to an announcement by the GPhC's move to scrap the two year requirement for Independent Prescribing (IP) course. "The PDA accepts that the qualitative approach could mean greater individual consideration of potential IP course candidates and the two-year measure could have sometimes been a blunt tool. However, the PDA is already seeing cases of patient harm and allegations around fitness to practice arising from IP," the association said. The association also said that it supports individual pharmacists with near misses, as well as actual incidents, giving the organisation possibly the most comprehensive understanding of risk. Frontline pharmacists also recognise these issues and in a survey of over 1,000 pharmacists undertaken by the PDA in late 2021, of those who had 2+ years' experience of practice and who were already independent prescribers, 90 per cent said the qualifying period should be two years or more.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has advised the public to exercise caution when buying anti-choking devices online, ensuring these products are purchased from reputable sellers. As estimated by the regulator, more than 10,000 counterfeit or unbranded anti-choking devices have been purchased by the public within the last two years through listings on online marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay, as well as drop-shipping websites. People are cautioned that the use of such products poses a substantial risk of failure in clearing blockages and could exacerbate the situation by pushing obstructions further down into the airway passage. Dr Alison Cave, MHRA Chief Safety Officer, said: "Buying anti-choking devices that do not have a valid UKCA or CE mark increases the risk of receiving a product which does not include appropriate instructions and is either fake or does not meet the UK's regulatory requirements. "These products do not meet our strict quality standards and may put your health and safety at significant risk by failing to resolve or even worsening choking incidents."

A 58-year-old nurse from North Lanarkshire, Scotland, has reportedly died after taking the weight-loss drug tirzepatide, which was recently approved for use on the NHS. Susan McGowan died from multiple organ failure, septic shock and pancreatitis, with the use of the Eli Lilly drug listed as a contributing factor on her death certificate, according to the BBC. She had taken two low-dose injections of tirzepatide, known by the brand name Mounjaro, over a two-week period before her death on 4 September. Her death is thought to be the first in the U.K. officially linked to the drug. McGowan, who had worked for over 30 years as a nurse at University Hospital Monklands in Airdrie, purchased a prescription for the drug through a registered online pharmacy. A few days after her second injection, McGowen began experiencing severe stomach pains and sickness. She went to A&E at Monklands - where her colleagues tried to save her life. Within days, her kidneys failed, and she fell into a coma as her other organs began to fail.

PAGB, the consumer healthcare association, has launched a new eLearning platform, open to both members and non-members, offering a comprehensive range of online training and development resources for the consumer healthcare industry. Launched at the end of 2024, the eLearning platform was initially exclusive to PAGB members. It has now been expanded to include non-members, along with the addition of new content and courses. Fully integrated with PAGB's website, the eLearning platform provides a variety of on-demand training courses and webinar recordings, complementing the association's year-round schedule of workshops and events. From Essentials courses that cover foundational topics such as UK medicines regulations, to Deep Dive courses offering in-depth knowledge on specific areas like CBD and novel food, the eLearning content is designed to support users' professional development and expertise. Additionally, the platform offers a collection of webinar recordings from past events, offering insights into various areas of consumer healthcare and PAGB membership. These recordings are currently exclusive to PAGB members.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's (MHRA) Criminal Enforcement Unit (CEU) has seized a quantity of suspected unlicensed medical products including unlicensed versions of Botox, numbing agents and dermal fillers in Bolton, Greater Manchester. Officers from the MHRA and Greater Manchester Police conducted a raid across nine addresses in Bolton, Westhoughton and Leigh in the early hours of Thursday 13 July 2023, where two women and a man were arrested. Andy Morling, MHRA Deputy Director of Criminal Enforcement said: "Medicines like these are powerful and dangerous in the wrong hands, potentially leading to serious adverse health consequences. The criminals trading in these products are not only breaking the law, they also have no regard for your safety. It is illegal to advertise, sell or supply medicines such as these without the appropriate authorisation. If you see these products, or any other powerful medicines, being sold on social media or elsewhere online, think. It's unlikely to be legitimate. You can help the MHRA take action by reporting concerns to us through our Yellow Card scheme.

Three batches of Mexiletine hydrochloride 50mg, 100mg and 200 mg hard capsules manufactured by Clinigen Healthcare has been recalled. Pharmacists are urged to quarantine the said batches and return it to the supplier by or before 12 August. Clinigen Healthcare Ltd has initiated a recall of three batches of Mexiletine hydrochloride hard capsules due to a potential risk of under dose or overdose, which could have consequences for the safety of patients. The manufacturer has confirmed that no alternative batches of Mexiletine hydrochloride 50mg, 100mg or 200mg hard capsules will be available until later in the year, therefore the recall of these batches from patients should only be considered where patients have access to appropriate alternative products. See below for more information on resupplying patients with alternative products. "Patients should be advised not to stop any treatments without consulting their relevant healthcare professional. The risks of suddenly stopping medication for ventricular arrhythmias is higher than the potential risk presented by too much or too little of the active ingredient in the capsule."

General practitioners (GPs) across England have made a resolute stand against proposed alterations in the 2024/25 national GP General Medical Services (GMS) contract put forth by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England. This firm opposition coincides with the declaration of an extended six-month strike by 33,869 junior doctors within the NHS, advocating for full pay reinstatement and reforms in the pay recommendation process. The latest survey conducted by the British Medical Association (BMA) has revealed that an overwhelming 99.2% of GPs in England are against any changes to the existing contract. The proposed amendments, slated for implementation from April 1st, 2024, encompass a meagre national practice contract baseline funding uplift of just 1.9%, notably falling short of recent inflation rates. This corroborates with GP Online poll that recently unveiled widespread GP dissatisfaction with proposed changes to the national GMS contract. 83% of GPs in favour of strikes cite pay and funding concerns, while burnout, high workloads, and patient safety also fuel discontent.

The Manchester Crown Court on Friday (9 December) sentenced three men, Cleave Lewis (35) and brothers, Denis Sutherland (58) and David Sutherland (59), to a total of three years in jail after they pleaded guilty to the illegal sale and supply online of prescription-only medicines and controlled Class B and Class C drugs, worth more than £1.5m. They were found in possession of nearly 1.3m tablets of prescription-only drugs, including powerful sleeping pills, painkillers and anti-anxiety meds, when officers from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Greater Manchester Police searched their residential homes and business premises in October 2017. Following investigations by the agency, they also pleaded guilty to illegally making these medicines available online on three different websites for the public to purchase without prescriptions. The officials also recovered controlled medicines, over half a million (525,737) erectile dysfunction, slimming and herbal tablets, with an estimated value of approximately £500k, from them.