What is patient group direction?

A patient group direction is a document which is authorised by a team of doctors, pharmacists and nurses which allows the supply of specified Prescription Only Medicines. A PGD specifies certain "Groups" of patients who can be given the medicines without a prescription. These protocols exclude the most vulnerable in society from treatment however this is only 1% of the populous. In general, dependent on which PGD is used 99% of all patients will be included in treatment.