Medicines And Law Prescription Writing And Signed Orders Flashcards
What are the three legal categories of Medicines Act 1968?
1) Prescription only medications (POM)
2) Pharmacy medicines (P)
3) General sales list medicines (GSL)
How do prescription only medicines work?
They can only be a prescription by an appropriate prescriber.
Can an IP optometrist prescribe control drugs such as morphine, pethidine and methadone?
No, there stricter legal controls to these medicines.
How can pharmacy medicine be sold and what should be asked before they are given?
By pharmacies and a pharmacist must at least supervise the sale.
They should ask if the px has any medical conditions to check if it is safe.
How can general sale list medicines be sold and what are some limitations?
Shops, newsagents and supermarkets. Only small packs or low strengths can be sold
At what point can optometrists sell or supply GSL or P medicines?
If it is in their course of their professional practice and in an emergency
Name four POMs registered optometrists may sell or supply in an emergency
1) 0.5% chloromphenicol eye drops or 1% ointment
2) Cyclopentolate hydrochloride
3) Fusidic acid
4) Tropicamide
It is the optometrists duty to make a professional judgment whether it is an emergency or not.
What are some additional supply medicines?
Topical antihistamines, mast cell stabilisers, NSAIDs, atropine
List the seven pieces of information that must be included on a signed order
1) Optometrist’s name and address
2) Date
3) Name and address of the patient
4) Quantity, pharmaceutical form and strength of the POM (e.g 0.5% eye drops 10ml)
5) Labelling directions (where applicable)
6) Original signature of optometrist
7) Name of the drug
Name four drugs which can be administrated by optometrists but not supplied
1) Tetracaine hydrochloride
2) 2) Lidocaine hydrochloride
3) Oxybuprocaine hydrochloride
4) Proxymetacaine hydrochloride
What is the Crown Review 1999?
Review of prescribing, supply and administration which allowed for independent prescribing (like doctors and dentists) and supplementary prescribing to take place.
What is supplementary prescribing?
A three way partnership between a medical practitioner and supplementary prescriber who monitors the px and a third person who agrees to the supplementary prescribing.
Name five pieces of information which must be written on a prescription.
1) Date
2) Name and address of px
3) Px age and DOB
4) Name of drug, dose and number of days of treatment required
5) Prescribers signature
Before a medicine can be used in the UK what must be granted?
A licence which indicates proper and suitable checks have been carried out plus the benefits that outweigh the risk- this is known as authorisation.
What information is included in a licence (there are four things)?
1) What health condition the medicine should be used to treat
2) The dose, form and who can use the medicine
3) How long treatment with the medicine should last
4) Safety issues like side effects + interactions
