Editorial policy

Official sources come first

Facts on Pharma Mate come from the organisation responsible for the service, law or rule. The order of preference is:

1. The provider's own website, for who a service helps, how to get in touch and opening hours.
2. GOV.UK, Acas and the Labour Relations Agency or nidirect in Northern Ireland, for employment law and workplace rights.
3. The NHS, NICE, the MHRA and the electronic medicines compendium, for medicines and health services.
4. The GMC, GPhC, NMC, GDC, HCPC and other regulators, for registration, fitness to practise and support during an investigation.
5. Trade unions and professional bodies, for what their members get.

News reports, forums and social media posts are never the only source for a fact. When an official source does not cover a point, the point is left out. The sources page lists the official sources used across the site.

How listings are checked

Before a listing goes live, the editor reads the provider's own website to confirm who the service is for, which nations the service covers, how you get in touch and any membership or eligibility rules. Phone numbers and hours are copied from the provider's own pages. Where a provider's website leaves a point unclear, such as whether a profession is eligible, the listing tells you to ask the provider directly.

How guides are written

Guides explain one problem in plain English, with the rule, who the rule applies to and the next step. Where the law differs between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the guide says so. Examples in guides are plain illustrations written by the editor. Examples are not real cases, client stories or testimonials, and no quotes are invented.

How often pages are checked

Every page is checked against its sources before publication. Listings and guides are checked again at least once a year, and sooner when a provider changes a service, a law changes or a regulator updates guidance. Readers' corrections trigger a check of the page concerned.

How dates are shown

Each page shows two dates. The byline at the top shows when the page was last updated. The source box at the end of the page shows when the sources were last checked. A checked date tells you the information matched the official source on the date shown. Services change, so confirm opening hours and eligibility with the provider before you rely on them.

How corrections work

To report an error, message the editor through the LinkedIn profile linked on Thomas Evans's page. Include the page address, the wording you think is wrong and a link to the official source if you have one. The editor checks the claim against the source. When a correction is needed, the page is changed and the updated date moves forward. Significant corrections, such as a wrong phone number or eligibility rule, are fixed as a priority.

What Pharma Mate will not do

• Give medical, legal or financial advice about your own situation.
• Publish paid, sponsored or advertorial content, or accept payment for a listing or a better position.
• Use affiliate links or earn commission from any organisation listed.
• List commercial clinics or pharmacies, or sell, prescribe or supply medicines.
• Claim a page has been reviewed by a doctor, pharmacist or lawyer.
• Collect your personal details. See the privacy notice.

Photographs and image descriptions

Photographs on Pharma Mate are stock images of healthcare settings, used under the Pexels licence. The people pictured are not the people described in any guide. Every photograph has a text description for screen reader users.