Patient Group Directions (PGDs) are medico-legal documents in the U.K. National Health Service that permit the supply of prescription-only medicines to groups of patients, without individual prescriptions.^[1] The first digital version of an authorised PGD was created by the pharmacist Wojtek Michael Bereza.^[2]

Legal requirements details

As define by the Human Medicines Regulations 2012,^[3] a PGD must include:

• the name of the business who owns the direction
• the start and end date of the PGD
• a description of the medicine(s)
• the class of the health professional who can supply or administer the medicine
• a signature of a doctor or dentist (as appropriate) and a pharmacist
• authorisation by an appropriate organisation: Authorising PGDS
• the clinical condition or situation to which the direction applies (eg the specified condition/conditions that can be treated)
• a description of patients excluded from treatment under the direction
• a description of when you should get more advice from a doctor (or dentist, as appropriate) and arrangements for referral
• details of appropriate dosage, maximum total dosage, quantity, pharmaceutical form and strength, route and frequency of administration, and minimum or maximum period to administer the medicine
• relevant warnings, including potential adverse reactions
• details of any necessary follow-up actions
• a statement of the records to be kept for audit purposes

Healthcare practitioner usage

Only qualified, registered healthcare professionals can supply medicines under PGD, these include:^[4]

• chiropodists and podiatrists
• dental hygienists
• dental therapists
• dieticians
• midwives
• nurses
• occupational therapists
• optometrists
• orthoptists
• orthotists and prosthetists
• paramedics
• pharmacists
• physiotherapists
• radiographers
• speech and language therapists