Our commitment
Every health page on pharmacydirectgb.co.uk is checked and approved by a named, GPhC-registered pharmacist before it goes live, and is reviewed again at least every 24 months. 

This policy explains who writes our content, how it is checked, which sources we rely on, how we use AI, and how to tell us if something is wrong.

We are a pharmacy first. Our content exists to help patients understand their condition and their treatment options before they speak to one of our clinicians. It is never a substitute for that consultation.

Three commitments apply to every clinical page:

• Named accountability. The page shows who wrote it and which pharmacist approved it, with their GPhC number.
• UK evidence only. Clinical statements are taken from UK-licensed product information and UK guidance, never from opinion or overseas marketing.
• Visible dates. Each page shows when it was published, last reviewed, last updated and when its next review is due.

Who we are and who owns this policy

Pharmacy Direct GB is the online pharmacy of M E J Hingley & Co Ltd, a family-run group of chemists founded by Michael Hingley in 1964, with community pharmacies across Birmingham and the West Midlands. The Superintendent Pharmacist owns this policy and is accountable for every clinical statement we publish.

Policy owner
Jane Hingley, Superintendent Pharmacist
Pharmacist registration
GPhC 2039827
Pharmacy registration
GPhC 1038007 (check the register)

Registered owner
M E J Hingley & Co Ltd

Prescribing doctor
Dr Ada Gruescu, registered with the Romanian College of Physicians (D53921)

Address
560/562 Green Lane, Birmingham B9 5QG

Contact
0121 772 3873 · [email protected]

"If a page carries my name as reviewer, I have read every line of it and I stand behind it." — Jane Hingley, Superintendent Pharmacist

Who creates our content
Our health content is written by pharmacists or by trained writers working with them, and it is always approved by a pharmacist. Topics come from the questions patients actually ask us, not from search trends.

We don't publish sponsored content or paid guest posts, and manufacturers have no say over what we write.

How a page is checked and approved
Every clinical page goes through five stages, and the pharmacist review at stage 4 is the gate: a page can't be published without it.

The reviewing pharmacist can send a page back to research or drafting at any point, or reject it outright. Their name and GPhC number are recorded against each page they approve.

The sources we use
Clinical statements must be traceable to one of the sources below, in this order of precedence. If we can't evidence a statement from an approved source, we don't publish it.

We also follow these rules:

• Each page lists its references, and claims link to the reference that supports them.
• Trial results are quoted as trial figures, with the study length stated, never as what an individual patient should expect.
• We don't use overseas sources (US prescribing information, for example) when UK information exists.
• We don't cite manufacturer marketing, forums or other pharmacies' websites as evidence.

Keeping content up to date
No clinical page goes more than 24 months without a full pharmacist review. That is the longest gap we allow, and most pages are reviewed sooner because something has changed.

We bring a page forward for review when:

• The MHRA changes a licence, a Patient Information Leaflet or a safety warning
• NICE publishes or updates relevant guidance
• A product, strength, pack size, price or supply arrangement changes
• A new interaction or safety concern is reported
• A patient, clinician or member of staff reports an error

Every clinical page shows four dates:

When we change a page materially, we update the "Last updated" date and keep a record of what changed and who approved it. If you notice a next-review date that has passed, please tell us and we'll prioritise that page.

How we write about medicines
We write about prescription medicines to inform patients, not to promote them. A prescription-only medicine is only supplied after a clinician has reviewed a consultation and decided it is safe and suitable.

• Information, not promotion. Pages about prescription-only medicines explain what a treatment is, how it works, its side effects and who shouldn't take it. They don't use urgency, discounts or persuasive claims to encourage someone to choose a particular medicine.
• Consultation first. Our content directs patients to a consultation. The prescriber decides on the treatment, and our wording reflects that.
• Safety information on every medicine page. Each one covers common and serious side effects, contraindications, key interactions, what to do in an emergency, and a link to the official Patient Information Leaflet.
• Balanced comparisons. When we compare treatments, we give their differences and limitations as well as their benefits, all from the same sources.
• Plain English, nothing lost. We explain clinical terms without leaving out detail a patient needs to make an informed decision.
• Accurate trust claims. Statements about our registration, our prescribers and our service must be true and checkable. They link to the relevant register where one exists.

These rules sit alongside our obligations under GPhC standards for registered pharmacies, the GPhC's guidance for pharmacies providing services at a distance, and UK law on advertising medicines.

AI, independence and reviews
We may use AI tools to help draft and tidy content, but a pharmacist is responsible for every clinical statement, and AI never decides what is clinically true.

If an AI suggestion conflicts with the reviewing pharmacist's judgement, the pharmacist's decision stands.

Independence. Our content isn't paid for or influenced by manufacturers, suppliers or advertisers. We don't take payment for links or rankings.

Customer reviews. We publish reviews from real customers, with dates, through Trustpilot and Google Reviews. We don't edit what reviewers say, but we may remove a review that contains personal medical details, offensive content, or claims about a medicine's effects that could mislead other patients.

Reporting an error or a side effect
If you think something on our site is wrong, tell us which page and what you read. The report goes straight to the pharmacist responsible for that page. We fix confirmed clinical errors as a priority and note the change on the page.

Report a content error: email [email protected] with the subject "Content correction", or call 0121 772 3873.
Report a side effect: speak to your pharmacist or prescriber, and report it to the MHRA through the Yellow Card scheme.
Make a complaint: follow our complaints procedure. If you're still unhappy, you can raise a concern about a pharmacy with the GPhC.

Please don't use any of these routes for urgent medical help. Call NHS 111, or 999 in an emergency.

Disclaimer and policy details
Our content is for general information only and isn't a diagnosis. It can't take your circumstances into account, and it doesn't replace advice from your prescriber, pharmacist or GP. Always follow the instructions that come with your medicine.

Policy owner
Jane Hingley, Superintendent Pharmacist, GPhC 2039827
Policy effective
Nov 1, 2026
Next policy review
Nov 1, 2027