It is good practice to have an age verification policy within the pharmacy. It is advisable to use the Challenge 25 policy as it helps to protect employees and business against selling products to those underage. It may be uncomfortable or awkward asking people to prove their age, however this is something that needs to be overcome.

Challenge 25 means that when someone attempts to purchase a restricted product, you should be assessing their age. You then have decide if the customer looks over the age of 25, which if they do you can make the sale. However if they look under 25 then you need to ask for a valid form of ID before you can make the sale.

If they are unable to provide ID this then you should refuse the sale. There should be no exceptions to the rule, even if you think you know the customer you should always conduct ID checks under the Challenge 25 policy.

Acceptable forms of ID are:-

• Passport
• Photo Driving License
• PASS approved cards such as Citizencard.

When you are checking the ID you should check the following:-

• Check the photograph is of the person handing it to you and that a photo is printed directly onto the card
• Check the date of birth and calculate their age – ensure the date of birth is printed onto the card directly
• Ensure there is no evidence of it being tampered with or altered and check that any security features are intact.

To assist you in operating the Challenge 25 policy you can download posters and additional resources from the Challenge 25 website.

How do you know if someone is underage?

You can use the persons' appearance to help judge their age, but this shouldn’t be the only indicator.

• Are they acting overly confident?
• Are they nervous and avoiding eye contact?
• Are they with a group of young people, or are there others waiting outside?
• What item are the purchasing?

Proxy Sales

You should be aware of proxy sales being made, usually these are more associated with alcohol and cigarettes but may still apply in a pharmacy setting.

A proxy sale is when the purchaser is over the legal age to buy the products, however their intention is to pass this onto a underage person. If you think this is the case, you should refuse the sale.