Saying it was protect the profession's reputation, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia rejected Friday a proposal to sell dietary supplements with prescription drugs.

The deal proposed a Blackmores companion range for patients who take common prescription medicine such as antibiotics and drugs for blood pressure, cholesterol and stomach acid.

When the agreement was made public by The Age last week, pharmacists, doctors and consumer groups denounced the deal for being motivated by profit and not real medical need.

"The idea that community pharmacists would take part in commercial 'upselling' without regard to their professional standards is offensive to our profession and rejected by the guild," the PGA said in a statement.

"However, prescriptions are very important, and it is overwhelmingly clear that the public perception of this endorsement was damaging to the reputation of community pharmacy," the PGA added.

With the decision, Blackmore products would no longer appear on the PGA's gold cross logo and computer prompts would no longer show on pharmacists' screens to remind them to discuss the dietary supplements when dispensing prescription drugs.

Blackmores Chief Executive Christine Holgate described the botched deal as similar to a combo meal in a fast food restaurant. It would have led to higher sales for the dietary supplements manufactured by Blackmores, while providing the pharmacies a new revenue stream.

The Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers Australia earlier chided the PGA for considering and endorsing the Blackmores deal.

"They described their decision to enter the deal as one made in good faith. Good faith must be their code for big bag of coins.... Australian pharmacists should never forget that the guild was willing to trade on their good reputation for commercial gain," APESMA Chief Executive Chris Walton said.

A Pharmacists Coalition for Health Reform survey of 500 people found that 94 per cent opposed the Blackmores deal for undermining the professionalism of pharmacists.