Exemption from the Controls on Retail sale

Question 1

What are the restrictions on GSL?

Answer 1

There are none, they can be sold anywhere

Question 2

What exemptions apply to hospitals and health centres?

Answer 2

• hospitals exempt from having to be registered as a pharmacy
• centres can supply medicines to patients provided it is in the course of the business of a hospital (in response to a direction from an appropriate practitioner, may supply any medicinal products fort her purpose of being administered either in the hospital or elsewhere)
• for POM, directions have to be written but they do not have to fulfil normal prescription requirements, notes in patients bed chart would do.

Question 3

Should prescribing and supplying be done by the same person?

Answer 3

No, these activities should be carried out by 2 separate people

Question 4

What are the rules around wholesaling by pharmacists?

Answer 4

• MHRA allows noncommercial wholesaling
• can trade small amounts of medicines to UK healthcare providers for patient supply or treatment
• can supply to other pharmacies but must be small and on an occasional basis
• can’t be done for profit
• sale of P or POM can only be done if purchaser is authorised to sell or supply these medicines

Question 5

Which HCPs can be exempt to supply medicines?

Answer 5

• Midwives
• podiatrists and chiropidists
• optomerists
• Ambulance paramedics

Question 6

What happens in the wholesale transaction process?

Answer 6

• purchaser will issue a signed order

Question 7

What should be done when medicines are issued under wholesale supply?

Answer 7

• records made in POM register, need to retain copies of signed order
• date if supply
• details of what was supplied, name, strenghth, quantity, form
• name, address, trade, profession
• purpose
• kept 2 years