MDU advice

The MDU adviser explained that while writing a private prescription for the medication was not unlawful, the GP should consider the GMC's guidance on prescribing, which says that, "wherever possible, you must avoid prescribing for yourself or anyone you have a close personal relationship with."

The adviser acknowledged that the father's own doctor had recommended the medication but explained that ultimately the GP would be prescribing for her own father. If she chose to prescribe, she would need to make a careful record that included mention of her relationship to the patient and the reason it had been necessary to prescribe. The adviser noted that the GP was proposing to prescribe a quantity of medication that would last a year and not simply an emergency supply.

The adviser also pointed out that the GP would be prescribing remotely for a patient living outside the UK. The GMC guidance stipulates that if the GP did prescribe in this situation, she would need to consider how she or the local doctor would monitor her father's condition - and given that her father was resident in Turkey, she would need to consider whether she had adequate indemnity in place, or whether she needed a licence to practice in Turkey. She would also need to follow UK and Turkish legal requirements with regard to any issues that might arise around import and export of medicinal products.

Prescribing for a patient overseas

Learn and develop with the MDU

Prescribing for a patient overseas