We have recently had concerns raised with us by the public, medicines manufacturers, and other regulators regarding medicines supplied on private prescriptions overseas by UK pharmacies. Concerns have included medicines being supplied to countries in which they are not legally allowed, and medicines arriving in a condition which means they are not safe to use.
Our guidance for registered pharmacies providing pharmacy services at a distance, including on the internet, states that when sending medicines to patients outside the UK, as well as complying with all relevant laws applicable here in Great Britain (GB), the laws that apply in the destination country must also be followed. This means pharmacies and their teams need to undertake the relevant checks concerning the applicable laws of the country they are sending medicines to. This includes making sure any medicines supplied are appropriate for use in the destination country. Pharmacies should be able to assure themselves, and us, that they have made the relevant checks concerning the applicable laws of the country they are sending medicines to.
Where medicines are supplied outside the UK, the pharmacy should also ensure that the packaging, transport method and in-transit timeliness and delivery provider are suitable (in line with the manufacturer’s storage instructions) and reliable enough to consistently ensure that the medicine arrives in good condition and is still safe and fit for purpose. Appropriate indemnity or insurance arrangements must also be in place for all the pharmacy services provided.
Pharmacy owners and pharmacy professionals should also be aware that the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) issues a list of medicines that wholesalers and manufacturers are banned from exporting or hoarding because they are in short supply and needed for UK patients. To avoid creating or exacerbating a shortage of medicines for patients within the UK, pharmacy owners and pharmacy professionals should check this list and consider the potential impact on medicines availability before sending medicines outside the UK.
If we find that pharmacies are not taking this information into consideration, we will consider whether we need to take action against particular pharmacies and the pharmacy professionals involved.