GPhC: Pharmacies to ‘verify’ patient history before supplying hair loss drug

The pharmacy regulator has advised that pharmacy teams carry out a “robust” assessment before supplying finasteride – a hair-loss drug with psychiatric and sexual health risks.

Man worried about hair loss
“Providing finasteride at a distance carries particular risk"

“Good quality consultations…adequate counselling” and “robust systems to verify [patients'] medical history” are all among the “new safety measures” for pharmacies supplying finasteride, the regulator this week (October 7) said.

In May, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced that it would issue a new patient alert card for popular hair loss drug finasteride due to side effects of “depressed mood, depression, suicidal thoughts and sexual dysfunction” in some patients.

Read more: Finasteride: MHRA warns of hair loss drug ‘psychiatric and sexual side effects’

At the time, the MHRA said that there was a “lack of awareness of these potential side effects”.

Now, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has released “new safety measures” for pharmacies supplying the drug privately.

The GPhC’s “considerations for pharmacy teams” include providing “adequate counselling” and reviewing “the training requirements of team members to undertake good quality consultations”, it said.

Read more: ‘Stop supplying immediately’: Pfizer recalls anaemia drug over ‘fatal events’

“Robust systems to verify the medical history of the patient to ensure that prescribers receive reliable, accurate and up to date information” are also needed, it added.

“When issuing repeat prescriptions” pharmacy policy “should consider appropriate timeframes to review a patient”, the GPhC said.

“Providing finasteride at a distance carries particular risk,” the update also warned.

Drug disquiet

Meanwhile last week, healthcare professionals were urged to stop supplying Oxbryta “immediately” after new data revealed “an unfavourable imbalance” of “fatal events” and “acute painful crises” in patients on the drug.

Manufacturer Pfizer Limited recalled “all distributed batches of Oxbryta 500 mg tablets” due to concerns the concerns raised by “emerging data from clinical trials and registry-based studies”.

Read more: Shortage warnings: ADHD, opioid dependence and period delay drugs

In August, the MHRA warned that one ADHD drug was in short supply, while some period delay and opioid dependency drugs would remain “out of stock” into the autumn.

And in the same month, a manufacturer recalled a medicine used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) “as a precautionary measure” due to unacceptable “variability”.

Sign in or register for free

Kate Bowie

Read more by Kate Bowie

Kate Bowie joined C+D as a digital reporter in August 2023 after graduating from a master’s in journalism at City, University of London. She began covering the primary care beat at the end of 2022, when she carried out several health investigations focused on staffing issues, NHS funding and health inequalities.

Latest from Regulation

PDA: Closed disqualification case contractors must be named

 • comment

The Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) has called on the regulator to name the contractors whose cases around disqualifying them from owning pharmacies are set to be closed.

Revealed: Half of open contractor ‘disqualification’ cases to close

 • comment

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) plans to close almost half of its open disqualification cases against pharmacy owners, C+D has learned.

P-meds: PDA slams ‘misguided and premature’ RPS U-turn

 • comment

The PDA has urged the RPS to reconsider its new position in favour of the self-selection of Pharmacy medicines (P-meds), saying it is “deeply concerned” by the move.

More from Clinical

Pharmacies to trial children’s flu vaccine service from October

 • comment1

Community pharmacies will be able to deliver flu vaccinations to children aged two to three under a “one-season trial” of a new service from October, the negotiator has revealed.

P-meds: PDA slams ‘misguided and premature’ RPS U-turn

 • comment0

The PDA has urged the RPS to reconsider its new position in favour of the self-selection of Pharmacy medicines (P-meds), saying it is “deeply concerned” by the move.