Dionne Spence, Chief Enforcement Officer at the General Pharmaceutical Council, said:
“We are very concerned by the BBC’s findings. We are asking the BBC to share further details with us as soon as possible, so we can investigate. We will take enforcement action against pharmacies, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians when required to protect patient safety.
“Our guidance is clear that when providing non-surgical cosmetic medical products such as Botox, there needs to be a physical examination of the person to support a safe prescribing decision.
“Earlier this year, we also updated our guidance to strengthen safeguards around the supply of medicines online, including those for weight management. They make it clear that the prescriber is expected to independently check the information given to them, including the person’s weight, height and/or body mass index.
“We routinely inspect pharmacies and take a risk-based approach to inspection, so we prioritise those that we have more concerns about. When a pharmacy is not meeting our standards, we take appropriate measures, including putting in place improvement action plans or conditions on the pharmacy.
“We work very closely and proactively with the other regulators that are also involved in regulating online prescribing services, including the Care Quality Commission, to share intelligence and to take a joined-up approach to investigations.
“We are also working with governments and policy makers to identify how the legal and regulatory framework in this area could be strengthened and any legislative gaps could be addressed; including by contributing to the DHSC’s call for evidence on private prescribing.”