Non Prescription Supply of Medicines - PGDs Flashcards
What is a patient group direction?
- Written instructions for the supply or administration of med to patients usually in planned circumstances
- by named, authorised, registered health professionals
- using PGD is not a form of prescribing
What does the PGD guide register pharmacists to do?
- PGD guide register health professionals in assessing the patients suitability for a specific drug without reference to an independent prescriber
- Pharmacist can only supply medicines on a PGD if there is an advantage for the pt.
When are PGDs useful?
- supplying medicine for treatment of episode
- medicines use follows discrete pattern
- homogenous patient group
- unscheduled care
Who can use a PGD?
nurses, midwives, optometrists, pharmacists, radiographers, dieticians etc.
Legal Framework for PGDs
-legislation for PGDs included in HMR 2012
States requirements for:
-Developing/ authoring PGDs
-Information to be included in a PGD
-Using PGD
-Reviewing and updating PGD
-legislation for labelling includes PGD
-PIL must be provided with PFS, not required by legislation
PGD and NHS charge
Exemptions also applied to PGD
Prescription charges do not apply when med are administered under a PGD
Setting up a PGD in your pharmacy
- consider need for PGD
- obtain the agreement of the authorising body before proceeding to develop PGD
- identify appropriate person who can sign PGD on behalf of authorising body
- construct the proposal document for seeking agreement, and ensure it has all the info necessary
Authorising bodies who can sign PGD include
- CCG, hospital trust and funds, local authorities
- Non NHS bodies: independent medical agencies, independent hospitals
Legal requirements of a PGD
- Name of business who owns the direction
- Start and end date of PGD
- Description of medicines
- Class of HCP who can supply or administer
signed on behalf of authorising body - signed by a doctor
- signed by a pharmacist
- both a pharmacist and doctor must have been involved in developing the PGD
Legal MEDICINES requirements of a PGD
- Clinical conditions to which the direction applies
- Exclusion criteria
- Referral criteria
- Details of appropriate dose, max total dose, qty, form, strength, route, frequency
- Max/min period to administer meds
- Relevant warnings
- Details of any necessary follow up actions
- Statement of records to be kept for audit
Exclusion from PGDs
- unlicensed meds (need to have MA)
- meds needing frequent dose adjustments or monitoring (anticoagulants and insulin)
- special manufactured meds
- dressing, appliances and devices
- radiopharmaceuticals
- PGDs are not used for managing long term conditions
Medicines included with caution in PGD
- ABx- only when their inclusion is necessary and won’t interfere with strategies used to combat AMR. Will need to involve microbiologist.
e.g. Example azithromycin available as PGD for chlamydia - Black triangle and off label use of drugs: only in exceptional circumstances and when justified by current best clinical practice
- PGD must cleary indicate the status of these drugs and why such use is necessary
- NICE guidelines must be used to justify the use of these meds
CD included with PGD
Schedule 2:
- morphine and diamorphine (only registered nurses and pharmacists for immediate, necessary treatment of a sick or injured person- not for treatment of addiction)
- Ketamine
Schedule 3:
- midazlolam
Schedule 4:
- except anabolic steroids and injectables used for treating addiction
Schedule 5:
- all including codeine
Which CDs cannot be supplied and administered under a PGD
Sch 3:
Tramadol
Gabapentin
Pregabalin
Before working under a PGD, healthcare professional must ensure:
- They have undertaken appropriate training and CPD
- assessed as competent and authorised to practice by provider organisation
- have signed an appropriate documentation
- are using a copy of most recent and in date final signed version of the PGD
- have read and understood context and content of PGD
Practising Under a PGD
- healthcare professionals may not delegate their responsibility
- ensure that you can determine that the patient meets the inclusion criteria as set out in the PGD and that no exclusion criteria apply
- Be able to discuss alternative options for treating the patient if appropriate.
- Assess each individuals circumstances and preferences.
- Recognise when you need to signpost or refer to another HCP as defined in the PGD.
- Understand relevant information about the medicines in the PGD – e.g. dosage calculations, interactions, etc.
- Be able to advise patient/carer about the medicine.
- Document the supply or administration.
Documentation
Most PGD require a record of supply or administration but not always specified in a PGD
What is good practice for documentation in PGD?
- Date and time of supply and/or admin
- Patient details and how the patient met the criteria of the PGD
- Details of medicine
- Name and signature of HCP administering or supplying
- Relevant info provided to the patient
- If consent was obtained (when relevant)
- for adults all PG documents must be keptt for eight years and for children it is until they are 25 or eight years after a Childs death
Reviewing and updating PGDs
- usually done in response to approaching the expiry date of PGD (max 3 yearS) or when change in legislation, new nice guidance, changes in SPC
- When reviewing the PGD (at least every 2 years), conduct an appropriate literature search to identify new evidence
- Determine whether the PGD remains the most appropriate option to deliver service; is it still needed
- If updating PGD, it will need to be re-authorised as per normal requirements
Type of PGD
NHS: all of previous information applies
Private
Private PGD
- Healthcare providers registered with the Care Quality Commission as ‘independent medical agencies’
- Superintendent pharmacists / Pharmacist Owners oversee the use of the PGDs within their organisation, including insurance
- Pharmacies set their own prices for services and medication supplied through private PGDs. No NHS authorisation is required.
- Private PGD services are paid for directly by patients
Examples of Private PGDs
- Erectile dysfunction (Viagra, Cialis, Levitra)
- Antimalarials (Malarone, doxycycline, Lariam)
- Stop smoking (Champix)
- Hair loss (Propecia)
- Emergency contraception (Levonelle and ellaOne)
- Salbutamol inhalers (for repeat supply)
- Cystitis treatment (trimethoprim)
- Vaccines (rabies, yellow fever
Examples of NHS PGD
- nappy rash
- impetigo (fusidic acid)
- Oral thrush (nystatin suspension)
- Emergency contraception