MEP Flashcards
What is the goal for medicines optimisation?
Acronym: SWEAP-O
1) improve patient outcomes
2) improve adherence
3) ensure patients are taking their medicines correctly
4) looking at polypharmacy - deprescribing if appropriate
5) reduce wastage
6) improve medicines and patient safety
What are the 4 principles of medicines optimisation?
Acronym: USER
1) understand the patient’s aim for treatment/ experience
2) evidence based choice of medicines
3) safe use of medicines
4) make medicines optimisation of routine practice
Which three classes of medications for humans under what regulations do pharmacists deal with?
1) GSL
2) P
3) POM
under Human Medicines Regulation 2012
Pharmacists deal with medicines for animal use. What regulations enable pharmacists to deal with medicines for animal use?
Veterinary Medicines Regulations
What does GSL stand for?
General Sale Medicines
Where can GSL medicines be sold?
In a registered pharmacy or retail outlet which can ‘CLOSE as to exclude the public’
(basically any registered pharmacy or retail outlet which can close to the public)
Within a pharmacy when can a GSL medicine be sold?
When a pharmacist has assumed the role of ‘responsible pharmacist’
The responsible pharmacist is allowed to be absent for how long within the working hours/ day of the pharmacy?
2 hours
If one premises has more than one responsible pharmacist, what is the total period of absence for all the responsible pharmacists within the working hours/day of the pharmacy?
2 hours
(does not matter if there is more than one responsible pharmacist, collectively both may only be absent for a period of 2 hours of the working pharmacy hours/day)
In the absence of the responsible pharmacist (< 2hours), which activities may be undertaken by pharmacy staff?
1) taking in prescriptions
2) sale of GSL medicines be trained pharmacy staff under documented operating procedures
3) assembling of prescriptions (i.e labeling, assembly of item(s), accuracy checking)
What activities require the RP to be present on the premises in order to carry out?
1) ‘professional check’ - legal and clinical check of a prescription
2) Sale/supply of POM (including: handing out dispensed medicines to recipient or to delivery driver)
3) supply of medicines under a PGD
4) wholesale of medicines
5) emergency supply at the request of patient or prescriber
What is a P medicine?
Pharmacy medicines - can only be sold at registered pharmacies by or under the supervision of the pharmacist
Can P medicines be available to the public for ‘self-selection’?
No
What does POM stand for?
Prescription only medicine
Why is there a restriction for the sale/ supply of pseudoephidrine and ephedrine containing products without a prescription?
Potential for misuse - used in the illicit production of methylamphetamine (crystal meth) –> Class A CD
What is the restriction in quantity for pseudoephedrine and ephedrine that can be supplied at any one time without a prescription?
720mg of pseudoephedrine containing products
180mg of ephedrine containing products
Can a product containing pseudoephedrine and ephedrine be sold at the same time without a prescription?
No - it is unlawful (Human Medicines Regulation 2012)
What two EHC products are available for purchase from the pharmacy?
Levonelle - levonorgestrel
EllaOne - ullipristal acetate
Levonorgestrel is licensed for EHC for women aged ……. and within ……….. hours of unprotected sex?
Aged 16 or above
Within 72 hours
Ullipristal acetate is licensed as EHC for women of what age and within how many hours of unprotected sex?
Women of ‘child-bearing’ age
Within 120 hours of unprotected sex
Medicines containing the following ingredients have been deemed unsuitable for children under 6yo for the treatment/ symptom relief of cough/ colds:
Antitussives: dextromethorphan, pholcodine
Expectorants: guaifenasin, ipecacaunha
Nasal decongestants: ephedrine, oxymetazoline, phenylephrine, pseudoephedrine, xylometazoline
Antihistamines: brompheniramine, chlorphenamine, diphenhydramine, doxylamine, promethazine, triprolidine
Cough and cold medicines for children aged 6-12yo containing antitussives, expectorants, nasal decongestants and antihistamines should only be used for how many days?
Used as second line to best practice
5 days use only
What is the current NICE guidelines referring to the concomitant use of ibuprofen and paracetamol in children?
Do not use ibuprofen and paracetamol together in children under 5yo
How long should records be kept for a POM that has been supplied from a private prescription?
2 years from the date of last entry in the register
What details need to be included in the POM register when a private prescription has been dispensed?
Date of supply
Date on the prescription
Medicine - name, strength, formulation and quantity
Prescriber details ( name and address of practioner)
Patient details
Does a ‘fax’ prescription fall into the remit of being a legally valid prescription, that medicinal products can then be dispensed against? If not, why?
No
Faxed prescriptions are not written or signed by an appropriate prescriber in indelible ink, which doesn’t make it a legal and valid prescription.
Faxed prescriptions can also pose undesired risks, such as the ‘fax’ being sent to duplicate pharmacies, which in turn will result in several supplies being made.