MEP Flashcards
What are the four principles of medicines optimisation?
1: Aim to understand the patients experience
2: Evidence-based choice of medicines
3: Ensure medicine use is as safe as possible
4: Make medicines optimisation part of routine practice
What is the maximum amount of pseudoephedrine or ephedrine that can be legally supplied without a prescription?
It is unlawful to supply a product or combination of products that contain more than 720mg of pseudoephedrine OR 180mg of ephedrine at any one time, without a prescription.
What is the maximum quantity of paracetamol that can be sold OTC?
Not more than 100 non-effervescent tablets or capsules (no legal limits on the quantity of effervescent)
What is the maximum quantity of aspirin that can be sold OTC?
Not more than 100 non-effervescent tablets can be sold.
OTC preparations containing codeine should not be used in what age group because the risks outweigh the benefits?
Children or young people aged under 18 years.
Which of the following are available as a repeat prescription: Schedule 2, Sch 3, Sch 4 or Sch 5 CDs?
Schedule 4 or 5 controlled drugs are repeatable. If the Rx is for a schedule 4 the first dispensing must be made within 28 days of the date on the prescription.
Once a prescription has been dispensed within the 6 month time frame (or 28 days for sch 4 CDs) Is there a time limit for remaining repeats?
NO - but should use professional judgement
Private prescriptions for a POM must be retained for X years from the date of supply?
2 years
The supply of POM from a private prescription requires a record to be made in the POM register and records kept for 2 years. What medicines are exempt from this rule?
Oral contraceptives
Schedule 2 CDs (as separate record in CD register is made)
Does a faxed prescription count as a legally valid prescription?
No as not written in indelible ink
If you are asked to supply an emergency supply at the request of a prescriber when must the prescriber provide you with a written prescription?
within 72 hours
Can you dispense a controlled drug as an emergency supply?
Schedule 1, 2 and 3 CDs cannot be provided as an emergency supply except for phenobarbital for the treatment of epilepsy.
If you make an emergency supply of a controlled drug what is the maximum length of treatment you can provide?
the max quantity that can be supplied is five days
If you make an emergency supply for a POM what is the max length of treatment you can provide?
No more than 30 days, except for the following:
if the pack cannot be broken i.e. inhaler, insulin, cream. the smallest pack size should be dispensed
If the POM is an oral contraceptive.
If the POM is an antibiotic illiquid form.
Who can provide a signed order for salbutamol inhalers for a school?
A written order signed by the principle or head teacher at the school must be provided to enable a supply be made to the school.
You are stuck in traffic on the way to work and will be late. Your pharmacy has a paper responsible pharmacist log. You are able to pull over to call your colleagues. What is the correct operating procedure to tell your staff?
In the absence of the responsible pharmacist being signed in, the pharmacy cannot open.
You are stuck in traffic on the bus on the way to work and will be late. Your pharmacy has an electronic responsible pharmacist register that allows you to log in remotely. Considering that you feel confident to log in remotely, what is the correct operating procedure to tell your staff when contacting them?
Pharmacy can open - Suitably trained staff can sell GSL medicines in the absence of a responsible pharmacist.
What is the earliest date you can supply the following prescription?
A private prescription for amoxicillin capsules 250 mg signed 1 May 2017, with the words “supply on 10 May” in the body of the prescription.
1st May
The appropriate date of an NHS prescription is either the signature date or the date indicated by the prescriber as a date before which the medicine should not be supplied, whichever is the later.
However, for a private prescription the appropriate date will always be the date on which it was signed.
You receive an NHS prescription for a Schedule 2 controlled drug. The prescription is signed on 6 March 2018. The prescriber has written in the body of the prescription “Supply on 10 April”. Each option may be used once, more than once or not at all.
What is the first date you can dispense this prescription?
10th April - The appropriate date of a NHS CD prescription is either the signature date or the date indicated by the prescriber as a date before which the medicine should not be supplied, whichever is the later. The 28 day vailidity of a CD prescription runs from the appropriate date.
What is Epistaxis?
Nosebleeds
What does a black square mean in the drug tariff?
Special container
What does a black circle mean in the drug tariff
Requires constitution
What % of MURS should be carried out in patients in the target groups?
70%
What are the four MUR national target groups?
- Patient taking high risk medicines
- Recently discharged from hospital and changes to medicines were made (within 8 weeks of discharge)
- Patients with respiratory disease
- Patients at risk or diagnosed with CVD and regularly being prescribed four medicines
What are the NMS target medicines?
Asthma/COPD
T2DM
Antiplatlet/anticoagulants
Hypertension
What does a lilac/purple prescription mean?
FP10N - written by a nurse independent/supplementary or community practioner nurse prescriber
What is a white prescription?
FP10CDF - controlled drug requisition form
Private prescriptions for controlled drugs, are what colour?
Pink
Is SLS is missing from a prescription, what action should be taken?
Refer back to the prescriber - pharmacy staff cannot amend this themselves.
Borderline substances should be endorsed with what?
ACBS - although if not on the prescription can stil dispense
What action should be taken if the quantity on a prescription is missing?
Contact the prescriber - can endorse the prescription with PC.
If you cannot get hold of the prescriber - supply 5 days and endorse PNC
What is a PO medicine?
PO is sometimes used by manufacturers to describe a product that isGSL but the manufacturers wish to restrict sale or supplies through pharmacies only e.g. fybogel
True or false - supplies of pseudoephedrine can only be made by the pharmacist personally.
False - sales should be made personally by the pharmacist of pharmacy staff that have been suitably trained.
Private prescriptions for POMs should be retained for how long?
2 years
What should be recorded in the POM register following the supply of a private prescription?
Name of patient Name of medicine, strength, quantity Date of supply Date on prescription Prescriber details
What are the two exceptions to recording in the POM register following the supply of a private prescription?
Contraceptives and sch 2 CDs
When medicines are broken down from bulk containers, what must be included on the label (in addition to usual labelling requirements)?
Need to label with expiry date and batch number
Max number of days supply if patient requests an emergency supply?
30 days
What record keeping is required following the supply of a salbutamol signed order?
Signed order should be kept for 2 years OR an entry made into the POM register
Can pharmacist independent prescribers prescribe medicines for themselves?
NO - must not prescribe any medicines for themselves.
A patient taking valproate reports feeling dizzy, does this need to be reported to the MHRA?
Yes - valproate is a black triangle drug and so all suspected side effects via the yellow card scheme.
