NPA hails ‘productive’ government discussion over PGDs

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has responded positively to the outcome of a recent meeting it held with the UK's chief pharmaceutical officers on the role of Patient Group Directions (PGDs) in care provision.

In a meeting attended by MPA chief executive Michael Holden and director of pharmacy Deborah Evans, it was agreed that PGDs have an "important and established place in the safe and effective care of patients".

PGDs were introduced in 2000 and are designed to provide a legal framework in which certain healthcare professionals can supply and administer medicines to groups of patients that fit predefined criteria.

The chief pharmaceutical officers welcomed the NPA decision to exclude PGDs involving antibiotics going forward with the exception of azithromycin, a proven means of treating the sexually-transmitted disease chlamydia.

It is hoped that this stance will help to combat the spread of antimicrobial resistance, a growing problem faced by UK healthcare providers.

The government officials also welcomed the NPA's offer to provide data pertaining to the evaluation of the pilot scheme on the use of PGDs for a range of conditions, as this will help to develop the service further in future.