Guidance to doctors on prescribing remotely

Good practice guidance covering remote consultations and prescribing has been issued by medical bodies to help protect patient safety and welfare when accessing medication online or over the phone.

The ten principles, including prescribing to patients overseas, have been co-authored and agreed by bodies including the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and GMC.

GMC chief exec­utive Charlie Massey said the flexibility of access­ing healthcare online can benefit patients, but it was imperative that these services did not impact on their safety, especially when doctors were prescribing high-risk medicines.