PDA Consultation on PGDs

The PDA headed by Mark Koziol is trying to push for healthcare workers other than those stated in the MHRA document on PGDs to be able to use PGDs. This make sense, especially for pharmacy technicians as now that there is a compulsory register with the GPhC which costs quite a bit they need to be able to offer services other than what a regular pharmacy assistant can offer. They need a USP so that they can justify their expenditure.

Patient Group Directives

A "Patient Group Directive" is a misnomer for a Patient Group Direction. Both sound very similar however, they are exactly the same. The is no such thing as a patient group directive only a patient group direction. If you type "Patient Group Directive" into Google it automatically corrects you in suggesting "patient group direction".

The answer you are looking for is that a patient group directive or PGD is a legal/clinical document which enables specifically trained pharmacist to supply prescription only medicines. PGDs are either in the Private or NHS sector. When they are in the NHS sector the are often accompanied by very specific training requirements set nationally by the NHS. In relation to private PGDs (i.e. Erectile Dysfunction PGDs) the training requirements are set by an Independent Medical Agency which has a multidisciplinary team which decides what training is required so that a medical professional (such as a pharmacist) can safely supply and / or administer PoMs.