Law Flashcards
Why should we regulate medicines?
- To ensure public safety
- No medicine is 100% safe
- Regulation allows control of
- Availability
- Access
- Information
- Quality
What is a medicine?
Law L7, pg 15
Meaning of ‘therapeutic purpose’
a) Preventing, diagnosing, monitoring, alleviating, treating, curing, or compensating for, a disease, ailment, defect, or injury; or
b) influencing, inhibiting, or modifying a physiological process; or
c) testing the susceptibility of persons to a disease or ailment; or
d) influencing, controlling, or preventing conception; or
e) testing for pregnancy; or
f) investigating, replacing, or modifying parts of the human anatomy
Four levels of classification
- Prescription Only Medicine
- restricted Medicine (aka Pharmacist only)
- Pharmacy-only medicine
- All other medicines are deemed to be general sale
- Medicines Act s.3(3)
- Controlled drugs
Controlled Drugs
- Risk of harm to individuals or society
- Class A eg. heroin
- Class B eg. morphine
- Class C eg codeine
- Class A & Class B CD prescriptions must be written on a H572 form - a triplicate prescription form
Prescription only medicine
- Prescription medicine means a medicine that is declared by regulations or by a notice given under section 106 to be one that, except as may be permitted by regulations, may be —
a) Sold by retail only under a prescription given by an authorised prescriber, veterinarian, or delegated prescriber; and
b) supplied in circumstances corresponding to retail sale only –
(i) under a prescription given by an authorised prescriber, veterinarian, or delegated prescriber; or
(ii) in accordance with a standing order; and
c) administered only in accordance with –
(i) a prescription given by an authorised prescriber, veterinarian, or delegated prescriber; or
(ii) a standing order
Prescription only medicine
Medicines Act s.18 Sale of medicines by retail
- Except as provided in sections 25, 27, and 30 to 33, or as may be permitted by regulations made under this Act, no person shall, in the course of any business carried on by that person, sell by retail, or supply in circumstances corresponding to retail sale, or distribute by way of gift or loan or sample or in any other way
(a) Any prescription medicine unless
(i) The medicine is sold, supplied, or distributed by a pharmacist in a pharmacy or hospital; or
(ii) the medicine is supplied in accordance with a standing order by a person who is authorised to supply and administer any specified class or description of prescription medicine under that standing order; or
(2) No person may sell by retail any prescription medicine otherwise than under a prescription given by an authorised prescriber, a veterinarian, or a delegated prescriber
(2A) No person may supply, in circumstances corresponding to retail sale, any prescription medicine otherwise than –
(a) Under a prescription given by an authorised prescriber, a veterinarian, or a delegated prescriber; or
(b) in accordance with a standing order
Prescription only medicine
SUMMARY
- Can only be sold with a prescription (unless Medicines Regulations allow otherwise)
- Prescription must be written by an authorise prescriber
- Sold, supplied, distributed by a pharmacist in a pharmacy or hospital (unless exceptions apply)
Examples:
- Amoxicillin - antibiotic;
- tramadol - pain relief;
- Insulin - diabetes
Non-prescription medicines
- Also known as “over the counter” or OTC medicines
- Includes: restricted, pharmacy-only & general sale medicines
Restricted medicine/ Pharmacist only
Medicines Act s.3 Meaning of medicine, new medicine, prescription medicine, and restricted medicine
Restricted medicine means a medicine that is declared by regulations made under this Act or by a notice given under section 106 to be on that, except as may be permitted by the regulations, may be –
(a) Sold by retail only by a pharmacist in a pharmacy or hospital; or
(b) Supplied in circumstances corresponding to retail sale only –
i) By a pharmacist in a pharmacy or hospital; or
ii) in accordance with a standing order
Restricted Medicine / Pharmacist only
- Medicines Act s.18 Sale of medicines by retail
- Except as provided in sections 25, 27, and 30 to 33, or as may be permitted by regulations made under this Act, no person shall, in the course of any business carried on by that person, sell by retail, or supply in circumstances corresponding to retail sale, or distribute by way of gift or loan or sample or in any other way
(b) any restricted medicine unless the medicine is sold, supplied, or distributed by a pharmacist in a pharmacy or hospital;
Medicines regulations R.54A Sale of Medicines Registers
- A record of the sale of restricted medicines must be kept
Medicines Act s.42B Security of pharmacies
- Prescription & restricted medicines must be stored in a way that prevents public gaining ready access to them
Restricted Medicine / Pharmacist only
- Can be sold without a prescription
- Can only be sold by a pharmacist in a pharmacy or hospital
- Record of sale must be kept
- Must be stored out of reach of public
Examples:
- Chloramphenicol eye preparations; nystatin drops for oral thrush;
- zolmitriptan nasal spray for migraine
General sale medicine
- No definition in the law
- Can be sold by anyone, from any store
Examples
- Antacids - Gaviscon, Mylanta; paracetamol tablets in small pack sizes; acyclovir cream to treat cold sores
Prescription except when
- Some medicines appear to be restricted medicines, but are legally classified as “prescription when…?
- Influenza vaccine:
- Prescription EXCEPT when administered to a person 13 years of age or over by a registered pharmacist who has successfully completed a vaccinator training course approved by the ministry of health and who is complying with the immunisation standards of the Ministry of Health
- As it is not a restricted medicine, it does not have to be sold at a pharmacy. Pharmacists will travel to workplaces to administer the influenza vaccine to people at their workplace, instead of requiring them to visit the pharmacy
Multiple classifications
- Many medicines will have multiple classifications
- Smaller sizes may be general sale, larger sizes pharmacy-only
- Low strengths may be restricted medicines, higher strengths prescription medicines
- Different formulations may be different classifications - tablets vs liquids vs injectables
- Different indications may be different classifications
Who decides on classification?
- Medicines classification Committee makes recommendation to the Minister of Health (MA s.9)
- Meets twice a year
- two from each of: NZ Medical Association; Pharmaceutical Society NZ; Ministry of Health
Medicines which may be available without a prescription shall be able to either
a) Show substantial safety in use in the prevention or management of the condition or symptom under consideration
b) Be for conditions or symptoms that can be diagnosed and managed by a pharmacist
c) Be easily self-diagnosed and self-managed by a patient
What criteria do the Medicines Classification Committee (MCC) consider?
- Patient access
- Accuracy
- Efficacy
- Precedent
- Therapeutic index
- Toxicity
- Abuse potential
- Inappropriate use
- Precautions
- Communal harm and/or benefit
Where do we find the classification?
- Legislation (but not always up-to-date) - medicines Regulations Schedule 1
- Medsafe website
- NZF formulary entry
Examples
L7, pg 35, 36 & 37
- Amoxicillin
- Omeprazole
- Ioratadine