Dispensing Flashcards
What details are good practice to supply on labels?
Keep out of the sight and reach of children
Use only on your skin etc
What details are legally REQUIRED to be printed on dispensing labels?
Name of the patient Name and address of the pharmacy Date of dispensing Name of the medicine Directions for use Precautions relating to the use of medicine
Must the label be attached to the product if it is in a box?
It is lawful to label the outer box, but it is best practice to label the Tim itself as it is more likely that the outer box will be lost or discarded.
Should a pharmacist administer medication to a patient?
Normally this is not the case, unless specifically directed by a healthcare professional, ie supervised consumption. It is not illegal to administer non parental POMs, but if doing so they should be suitable trained.
Parentals should only be administered in an emergency such as adrenaline for treatment of anaphylaxis.
What is a PGD?
A patient group directive is legislation that allows the supply or administration of certain medicines by authorised health professionals to patients that are within the criteria and for conditions covered by the PGD. They should be well understood, and followed only where this offers an advantage for patient care WITHOUT compromising patient safety.
What is a CPUS?
This is part of a PGD that allows pharmacists in Scotland to supply repeat medications that are eligible to a patient on an urgent basis. Th pharmacist should make sure that it is appropriate to do so, and that there is no ambiguity in the medicine or dose needed.
What is an emergency supply at request of prescriber?
This is when a pharmacist is legally able to supple a POM to a patient without a prescription, as request by a qualified prescriber.
The conditions that are required are that the pharmacist:
Is happy the prescriber is valid
Is satisfied that it is an emergency, and a prescription could not be supplied immediately
Receives a valid prescription from the prescriber within 72 hours
Receives direction to give to the patient
This cannot be used to supply CD 1, 2 or 3 drugs,with the exception of phenobarbital for epilepsy.
What must a pharmacist do if they dispense an ES at request of prescriber?
They must make a record in the POM register the day of dispensing or the following day.
This must include:
The date the POM was supplied
The name ( and strength and form where appropriate) and quantity of medicine supplied
The name and address of prescriber
The name and address of the patient
The date on the prescription and date received,added when received
What is an emergency supply at the request of a patient?
If a patient requires medication on an urgent basis, is not eligible for CPUS( ie from outside Scotland), and is unable to receive a prescription in the normal manner, then can request an emergency supply.
The pharmacist should interview the patient in most cases, however there are some circumstances,ie patient is a child,where this is not possible and the pharmacist should use their best judgement.
The pharmacist must be satisfied that there is an immediate need, and it would not be practice for the patient to obtain a prescription.
The POM must have previously been used as treatment by the patient as prescribed by a valid prescriber, and the pharmacist should consider the interval since it was last issued when deciding if it is appropriate to make the supply.
The pharmacist must be satisfied that the dose the patient needs is correct, ie from PMR, repeat slip, old packaging.
The label should state emmergency supply
The only controlled drug that can be supplied as an ES is phenobarbital.
There are also some other medications that are not CDs that cannot be supplied in this way, if unsure consult MEP.
As no prescription is supplied for this, the patient must pay for the medication.
An entry must be made in the POM register within 48hrs and should include:
Date of supply
Medicine details
Name and address of patient
Information on why it was supplied
Can a pharmacist make an emergency supply when the doctors surgery is open?
Legislation does not prevent this, and pharmacists should consider the best interest of the patient when making the decision to make and ES or refer patient to another source.
What is the legal length of treatment that can be supplied as an emergency supply ?
If the emergency supply is a CD, a maximum of five days can be supplied.
For most POM medications the maximum that can be supplied is 30 days, with the following exceptions:
If the product is in a pack that cannot be split, the smallest avalible back should be supplied ie creams inhalers
If the POM is an oral contraceptive a full treatment cycle should be supplied.
If the POM is an antibiotic in liquid form for oral administration, the smallest quantity that will provide a full course of treatment should be supplied.
What are pandemic exemptions?
Legislation that relax ES requirements in the event of a pandemic or immanent pandemic.
What are optometrist or podiatrist signed orders?
Unless optometrist/podiatrist are supplementary prescribers, they cannot authorise the supply of POM through prescriptions.
However a pharmacist can supply certain POMs directly to patients in accordance with a signed order from the optometrist/podiatrist.
What conditions should be met for a signed order from a optometrist/podiatrist and what procedures should be followed?
The medicine must be one that could legally be sold or supplied by the prescriber, but not ones that can only be administered by the prescriber.
It is not a prescription and thus the normal prescription requirements do not apply, but you should be satisfied that the prescriber has provided sufficient advise to the patient to allow safe and effective use.
The pharmacist should be labeled accordingly as a dispensed medicinal product, is supplied with a PIL, and a record should be made in the POm register.
