Initial responses to the current PDA member survey reveal widespread concern amongst pharmacists about the hazards associated with any kind of self-selection of P medicines. These have a higher risk profile than medicines on the general sale list (GSL) and may have stronger or more side effects, or greater potential for patient harm or misuse.
Those responding to the PDA survey have cited increased potential for theft or misuse (76%), inappropriate selection (98%), and commercial pressure to approve sales (77%). Crucially, many highlighted the heightened risk of conflict and aggression toward pharmacists and their teams (81%), especially when denying sales or intervening in potential misuse.
These concerns are not hypothetical. Recent reporting from the BBC confirms that community pharmacies are already under siege, with criminal elements exploiting vulnerabilities in medicine access and staff protection.
In such an environment, loosening controls on P medicine access could inadvertently fuel the illegal market for medicines, which are open to abuse, risk creating addiction, or increase the number of patients with adverse drug reactions (which are estimated to cost the NHS up to £2.2 billion per year).
A rise in violence, theft, and physical assault
Recent news reports, including the BBC article published on 13 August 2025, and feedback from PDA members has bought into sharp focus a disturbing rise in violence and crime directed at pharmacy teams across the UK. Pharmacists are increasingly facing verbal threats, physical assaults, and criminal behaviour in the workplace, often linked to disputes over medicine access and prescription delays.
The PDA’s long-standing campaign around ending violence and abuse in pharmacies calls for zero-tolerance, including appropriate risk assessments being undertaken by employers to protect patients and pharmacy teams from crime. However, the situation remains critical with changes in pharmacy practice now threatening to introduce more risk in this worrying climate.
The PDA is reiterating its cautious stance on the facilitated self-selection of P medicines, a model that allows members of the public, whether a patient themselves or someone purchasing for another person, to select certain higher risk medicines from open display without any involvement from a registered pharmacist. The professional’s expert consideration can only then occur when the person attempts to purchase the medicine at the till and while they already have the item in their hands. This contrasts significantly with long-standing practice model where such higher risk medicines are only accessible after a pharmacist has confirmed it is safe and appropriate for the patient concerned.
The PDA warned in its recent policy paper, Beyond Convenience that any changes to the current model should only be made following full consultation with the pharmacist profession, ensuring decisions align with best practices in medicine safety and patient care.
RPS’s position: A misguided endorsement?
In contrast to the PDA’s safety-first approach, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has recently issued a position statement supporting the adoption of facilitated self-selection models, a reversal of their previously held position. The RPS argues that such models can be implemented safely if pharmacies meet regulatory standards, provide appropriate training, and ensure robust oversight by the Responsible Pharmacist (RP).
However, while a small minority may welcome the opportunity to sell more P medicines via this proposed model, this endorsement has drawn criticism from many within the pharmacist profession on safety grounds.
By choosing to no longer reject moves to introduce self-selection of P medicines into pharmacy practice (which would align with the PDA’s stance), the RPS is now endorsing changes which have the potential to place pharmacists, pharmacies, and their support teams, as well as patients at greater risk. The assumption that all pharmacies can implement these models safely, overlooks the reality of under-resourced teams, inconsistent training, inadequate security measures and the volatile environments described in recent news reports.
The RPS’s revised position fails to account for the lived experiences of frontline pharmacy staff as highlighted in the recent news reports and the National Pharmacy Association (NPA). In doing so, it risks undermining the very standards of patient safety and professional accountability it seeks to uphold.
Conclusion: A call for reassessment
The PDA’s opposition to facilitated self-selection is grounded in evidence, professional feedback, and a clear-eyed view of current risks. The RPS’s support for the model, appears misaligned with the realities facing community pharmacists today. As violence and criminal activity escalate, the profession must prioritise safety, oversight, and consultation, before further harm is done.
Pharmacists can still have their say regarding their views and all PDA members and pharmacists are encouraged to complete this survey.
This PDA survey aims to:
- Understand pharmacists’ awareness and views on facilitated self-selection.
- Explore how pharmacists perceive the clinical and safety implications.
- Assess whether other members of the pharmacy team could safely support this process.
- Ensure pharmacists’ voices are heard.
The responses will help shape the PDA’s position and advocacy on this important issue and will close at 5 pm on Wednesday 20 August.
Learn more
- Pharmacies report surge in shoplifting and aggression
- Adverse drug reactions, multimorbidity and polypharmacy: a prospective analysis of 1 month of medical admissions
- Beyond Convenience
- RPS changes stance and signals support for facilitated self-selection of P meds
- 9 in 10 of pharmacies see surge in shoplifting in last year
- PDA Survey Facilitated self-selection of P medicines
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