Online Prescribing Under Scrutiny: Six-Month Conditions Imposed After 62,000+ Questionnaire-Based Prescriptions

Date of Decision: February 12, 2026

Registrant's Role: Pharmacist

Allegations:

• Prescribing medicines on 62,689 occasions using an online questionnaire-based model.
• Prescribing high-risk medicines on 4,859 occasions via the same model.
• Failing to prescribe in accordance with relevant GMC, RPS and GPhC guidance, including:
• Not obtaining adequate patient health information before prescribing.
• Relying primarily on unverified online questionnaire responses.
• Failing to access or attempt to access GP or specialist records.
• Not requesting face-to-face consultations where clinically indicated.
• Failing to consider medication dependence or misuse.
• Not referring patients back to their GP for appropriate monitoring.
• Failing to implement adequate safety-netting.
• Prescribing within a model incapable of supporting safe prescribing decisions, including a questionnaire system that could be manipulated by patients.
• Prescribing at volumes and speeds that were insufficient to allow proper clinical evaluation, with over 40,000 prescriptions issued in under three minutes.
• Specific unsafe prescribing incidents, including:
• 28 tablets of propranolol 10mg.
• 84 tablets of amitriptyline 50mg.
• Repeated supplies of amitriptyline 25mg and 50mg and propranolol 40mg to individual patients without adequate safeguards.
• Prescribing medicines including Z drugs, opioids, modafinil, amitriptyline, propranolol, carbamazepine, orlistat/Xenical, promethazine, metformin and salbutamol (Ventolin) via questionnaire when unsuitable for such a model.
• Adopting a transactional approach to prescribing.
• As Clinical Lead, failing to ensure safe prescribing standards among other prescribers in respect of approximately 14,259 high-risk prescriptions.

Outcome: The previous 12-month suspension was replaced with a 6-month Conditions of Practice Order

GPhC Standards Breached:

• Standard 1 – Provide person-centred care
• Standard 2 – Work in partnership with others
• Standard 4 – Maintain, develop and use professional knowledge and skills
• Standard 5 – Use professional judgement
• Standard 6 – Behave in a professional manner
• Standard 7 – Respect and maintain patient confidentiality
• Standard 9 – Demonstrate leadership

Case Summary

Original Case Document