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CQC takes further action against online prescription services
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The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has taken further action to protect people in England who are using websites to obtain prescription medicines.
The quality regulator has published inspection reports on four more providers, which detail examples of people being put at risk of harm, with insufficient checks on their identity, poor recording of their medical history and clarification of their symptoms, inappropriate medicines being prescribed, and lack of communication with the patient’s GP.
CQC has used its urgent enforcement powers to suspend the registration of one of these providers, imposed conditions on two of them, and instructed the fourth to improve its practice.
Doctor Matt Ltd (www.theonlinesurgery.co.uk) was found to be issuing prescriptions after taking as little as 17 seconds to review patient questionnaires. CQC has suspended the registration of this service until the end of June.
Frosts Pharmacy Ltd (www.oxfordonlinepharmacy.co.uk) was found to be prescribing large quantities of inhalers for asthma without checking if the patient’s condition was out of control or if a diagnosis had been confirmed. CQC has issued the provider with warning notices.
White Pharmacy Ltd (www.whitepharmacy.co.uk) was prescribing a high volume of opioid-based medicines with no system in place to confirm patients’ medical or prescribing histories. CQC has placed conditions on the provider to restrict its prescribing of these medicines.
While i-GP Ltd (www.i-gp.uk) was issued requirement notices instructing it to make improvements in a number of areas, including around ensuring it has a robust system in place to verify the identity of its patients.
In a number of cases, providers took action immediately after the inspection to address some concerns. CQC will check the impact of these changes when we return to re-inspect.
Last month, CQC – alongside the General Medical Council (GMC), the General Pharmaceutical Council, and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency – reminded those running these websites that they must care for people in a safe and effective way, which includes following professional guidelines like any other provider. At the same time, CQC warned the public to act with caution when considering using these websites.