A Patient Group Direction (PGD) is a written instruction that allows the supply and administration of specified medicines to defined patient groups without an individual prescription. PGDs are used in specific UK telehealth and pharmacy contexts — typically for OTC reclassified medicines, certain vaccines, and defined emergency situations. They are not a general substitute for individual prescribing. This piece walks through when and how UK telehealth uses PGDs.
What a PGD is and when it applies
A PGD is a written instruction signed off by a doctor or dentist and authorising registered healthcare professionals — typically pharmacists or nurses — to supply or administer specified medicines to defined patient groups meeting specified criteria, without each patient requiring an individual prescription.
PGDs are governed by the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 and supporting guidance. They are restricted to specific categories of medicine and circumstance, and must be developed, signed off, and operated with documented governance.
Where UK telehealth and pharmacy commonly use PGDs
Common UK PGD applications: emergency contraception (levonorgestrel, ulipristal) supply by pharmacists, smoking cessation pharmacotherapy in pharmacy settings, certain vaccinations (travel, flu) by pharmacists, treatment of uncomplicated cystitis in some pharmacy settings, and certain OTC-reclassified medicines under defined criteria.
PGDs are useful where the clinical decision is highly structured and the medicine is well-suited to protocol-driven supply. They reduce the friction of accessing the medicine for patients who clearly meet the criteria.
What PGDs are not — the boundary with individual prescribing
PGDs are not a general substitute for individual prescribing. Individual prescribing — by a prescriber for a specific named patient — is the default for most prescription medicines. PGDs are the exception, used in specific defined situations.
Telehealth brands sometimes assume PGDs can broaden supply across categories. They cannot. A PGD covering one specific medicine for one specific patient group does not extend to others. Trying to operate broadly under PGD without proper governance is non-compliant.
Developing a PGD
PGDs must be developed with appropriate clinical input, signed off by an authorising doctor or dentist, and approved through the relevant governance route. NHS settings typically have a defined PGD governance framework. Private settings need to develop equivalent governance — usually with clinical advisory input and documented sign-off.
Each PGD specifies: the medicine and form, the patient group, inclusion and exclusion criteria, the action to be taken in case of adverse events or treatment failure, and the records to be kept. The detail matters at inspection.
How PExpo handles PGD-eligible supply
PExpo's brand and clinic models support PGD-eligible supply where applicable — typically emergency contraception, certain vaccinations, and reclassified medicines. The PGDs are developed, authorised, and operated under proper governance with documented audit trail.
For most telehealth categories, individual prescribing remains the default — the PGD route applies in specific contexts rather than as the general supply mechanism. See our clinic model page for the operational scope or our brand model page for the white-label equivalent.
PGDs are not a general substitute for individual prescribing. They apply in specific defined situations — emergency contraception, certain vaccinations, reclassified medicines. Broad use without proper governance is non-compliant.
PGDs reduce the friction of accessing medicine for patients who clearly meet defined criteria. They do not replace clinical judgement for patients whose presentation falls outside those criteria.
A Patient Group Direction is a structured tool for supply of specified medicines to defined patient groups without individual prescription. UK telehealth uses PGDs in specific contexts — emergency contraception, vaccinations, certain reclassified medicines — not as a general supply mechanism. See our clinic model page for the operational scope or our brand model page for the white-label equivalent.
Frequently asked questions
Who can sign off a PGD?
A doctor or dentist with appropriate authority within the organisation. In NHS settings, a defined governance route applies; in private settings, equivalent governance must be in place including clinical advisory input.
Can a PGD be used to supply weight loss medication or GLP-1?
No — weight loss medications including GLP-1 receptor agonists are prescription-only medicines that typically require individual prescribing, not PGD-based supply. The clinical decision and the medicine class together make PGD inappropriate for this category.
Does PExpo operate PGDs for emergency contraception?
PGD-based emergency contraception supply is supported where the operational pathway calls for it. Most UK telehealth EC supply still operates via individual prescribing. See our clinic model page for the operational scope.
