Allied pharmacy
I wish to raise serious concerns regarding the conduct and business practices of Allied Pharmacy. In my experience, and in the experience of others within the local community, these practices appear unethical and deeply concerning.
Allied Pharmacy has strategically positioned itself adjacent to a GP practice and, in doing so, has developed an arrangement whereby its pharmacists work closely and directly with the GP surgery. Pharmacists employed by Allied Pharmacy are trained to encourage and facilitate the transfer of patients’ prescriptions from their chosen pharmacies to Allied Pharmacy. This is presented as being “in the best interests of the patient,” yet in practice it appears to be primarily motivated by the desire to increase prescription volume and generate additional revenue.
Such conduct undermines patient choice and professional integrity. Patients are entitled to freely choose their pharmacy without pressure, influence, or covert redirection. Encouraging prescription switching under the guise of patient benefit, while the true objective is commercial gain, is not acceptable and raises serious ethical and regulatory concerns.
These practices have a particularly damaging impact on local independent pharmacies. Independent pharmacists do not have the scale, resources, or influence to challenge these arrangements when large numbers of patients are systematically transferred away. As a result, they are effectively silenced and placed at a significant disadvantage, despite often providing a more personal and community-focused service.
I am personally affected by this situation. I am a patient who has consistently chosen to use my local independent pharmacy. Despite this, my prescriptions were switched without my consent. I was later contacted by the GP surgery and encouraged to use Allied Pharmacy. I clearly stated that I wished to remain with my independent local pharmacist. However, despite this explicit instruction, my prescriptions were still sent to Allied Pharmacy.
This caused unnecessary distress and inconvenience, particularly as my independent pharmacist had already prepared my medication in good faith. This represents not only a failure to respect patient choice, but also a lack of professional courtesy and consideration for fellow healthcare professionals. They have taken over JHOOTs stores and then are opening them up; then poor pharmacist inside using there licenses to do unethical practices.
I believe pharmacists employed by Allied Pharmacy should be cautious and reflect carefully on the ethical implications of these practices. Professional standards require pharmacists to act in the best interests of patients, to respect patient autonomy, and to maintain trust in the profession. Practices that prioritise commercial expansion over ethical responsibility risk undermining that trust.
A formal complaint has been submitted to the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), and this matter is currently pending review. I hope that appropriate scrutiny is applied to ensure that professional standards are upheld and that patient choice and ethical conduct are properly protected.
Comments made below by some reviews explains this clearly. Pharmacy attached to GP surgery
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