RPSGB attacks physician "bribes" to cut Rxing

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain has branded plans to give general practitioners a financial incentive to prescribe fewer  medicines to patients as "irresponsible bribery that potentially places  patients at risk." The joint scheme will see profits from cutting drugs  bills shared between GPs and a private company, Assura, which is  currently bidding to take over the prescribing budgets at two National  Health Service primary care trusts.

The RPSGB's director of policy and communications, David Pruce, said:  "Assura's agreements with PCTs to give GPs financial kick-backs when  they prescribe cheaper, generic drugs amount to plain bribery." He added  that "paying doctors to prescribe cheaper drugs is the wrong approach.  Prescribing is a core role for GPs and the proposals to reward doctors  who change their prescribing habits when it may not be in the best  interests of patients is unacceptable."

The pharmacists' group argues that its members are experts in medicines  and doctors rely on them to provide up-to-date, precise advice to assist  with prescribing. "The move to effectively cut pharmacists out of the  prescribing conversation for the sake of financial reward is not only  morally wrong - it could put the lives of patients at risk," Mr Price  claimed.