DiCE ONLine best PRACTICE GUIDELINES
DiCE BPGs in the News
At the launch of the [Best Practice] Guidelines (BPGs), Boots Online Doctor medical director Dr Christina Hennessey said that it was important for “online prescribers” to have “a unified set of best practice guidelines”, while LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor also said it “supports” them.
Both online providers are members of the DiCE network, which also includes Pharmacy2U, Chemist4U and Asda, as well as other online pharmacies.
DiCE told C+D today (May 7) that its guidelines aim to “manage risk” and respond to “public demand”, adding that it is investigating the “experience and expertise” of the GPhC’s expert.
And the GPhC stressed that it does not endorse the new guidelines but is updating its own guidance around online prescribing.
Read the full article here.
For the DiCE press release in full, download below:
Dice online best practice guidelines
DiCE Online Best Practice Guidelines (BPGs)
The BPGs have been created by the participants of the DiCE network. They are dynamic working documents which will undergo regular review and updates as needed. They aim to reduce unwarranted variation, help mitigate adverse effects of treatment and distinguish the properly licenced and regulated services from those unqualified and potentially dangerous online sources. Please check in regularly to ensure you have the most up to date ones.
DiCE aims to work collaboratively within the industry and with relevant professional bodies and healthcare regulators to produce these BPGs. However, these are industry produced and should not be regarded as being endorsed by any professional body or regulator, who have their own standards. Therefore, healthcare professionals are reminded that the only statutory standards that must be adhered to are those produced by the UK healthcare regulators and that established national guidance such as those produced by NICE, SIGN or other statutory bodies which must be followed.
If you would like to be involved in the creation of the next BPGs please contact claudia@healthworks.uk
LAUNCH OF THE BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES 1 MAY 2024
“Everyone has the right to safe, high quality care – no matter how they access it. It’s encouraging to see providers working together to learn from each other’s expertise and experience to drive better care for people who use services.” So says Tim Ballard, CQC’s National Professional Advisor – PMS and Integrated Care who welcomed the new DiCE Best Practice Guidelines launched on 1st May 2024.
The timing is significant as the MHRA publishes a report that suggests many online pharmacies are unregulated, illegal or fraudulent. The guidelines aim to reduce unwarranted variation, help mitigate adverse effects of treatment and distinguish properly licensed and regulated services from those unqualified and potentially dangerous online sources.
The DiCEMark
Created and trademarked for use by participants of the DiCE network, the new DiCEMark is an easily recognised symbol of quality assurance for patients to identify those online providers who adhere to the values and principles of DiCE and are regulated by the CQC/GPhC.