Prescribing and Dispensing – Rural GP practices can act as Dispensing Doctors which means they can perform both the Prescribing and Dispensing of medication if it would be difficult for their patients to access a local pharmacy.
Only certain patients are eligible to receive both Prescribing and Dispensing services from a dispensing doctor; in total around 7% of all prescription, items are issued via a dispensing doctor.
Other clinicians can also offer a Prescribing and Dispensing service to their patients (e.g. from private clinics) however there are strict assessment criteria imposed by the Care Quality Commission to ensure patients are given a fair choice as to where to have their prescription filled.
The CQC would assess whether the offer to dispense a prescription for a patient under the care of a clinician at a clinic was done to serve the needs of the patient and not for a purely financial incentive.
Also, appropriate Risk Assessed dispensing operating procedures must be in place to demonstrate that there is a separation between the prescribing and dispensing functions where possible so that any errors in dispensing could be detected by a third person.
Prescribers who also own, or have a financial interest in, a private pharmacy must ensure they are allowing patients the choice of where to have their prescription dispensed.
The Royal College of Nursing and Royal Pharmaceutical Society have issued a joint position statement on the prescribe, dispensing, supplying and administration of medicines.
https://www.rcn.org.uk/professional-development/publications/pub-009013