OTC and POM

Question 1

What is a GSL?

Answer 1

GENERAL SALES LIST
may be bought from retail stores, such as a newsagent, a supermarket or a
vending machine in a shop.

Question 2

What is a P?

Answer 2

PHARMACY
an intermediate level of control, can be bought only from pharmacies and
under a pharmacist’s supervision.

Question 3

What is a POM?

Answer 3

PRESCRIPTION ONLY MEDICINE
has to be prescribed by a doctor or other authorised health professional and
it has to be dispensed from a pharmacy or from another specifically licensed
place.

Question 4

What are some examples of self selected medicines?

Answer 4

• Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines
• Herbal products
• Vitamins
• Dietary supplements
• Recreational drugs (e.g. alcohol and tobacco)

Question 5

What act led to legislation for regulations to medicine?

Answer 5

Human medicines regulations 2012

Question 6

What are the benefits to having medicine categories?

Answer 6

• quick relief of the disorder
• individual can exercise autonomy and choice
• rapid and convenient access to medicines

Question 7

What are some of the barriers to medicine categories?

Answer 7

• potentially troublesome or serious side effects
• possible misdiagnosis and delay in correct treatment
• potential harm from misuse

Question 8

What is the role of the medicine counter assistant?

Answer 8

sale of non-prescription
medicines, receipt of prescriptions, handing out of completed
dispensed items and giving advice on health matters

Question 9

What is the function of the pharmacy assistant?

Answer 9

functions involved In dispensing

Question 10

What is the role of the pharmacy technicians?

Answer 10

technical functions involved in the preparation
and supply and dispensing of medicines. They are also qualified to sell
OTC medicines and provide information to customers on symptoms

Question 11

What is the role of the accuracy checking technician?

Answer 11

check the accuracy of
prescriptions dispensed by another staff member before the
medicines are given out to patients

Question 12

Where are GSL’s sold from?

Answer 12

• pharmacies
• outer pharmacy

Question 13

What are the conditions of selling GSL’s?

Answer 13

• the premises can be closed to the public
• the medicine was packaged elsewhere
• outer packaging has not been opened

Question 14

What is the legal maximum limit of pseudoephedrine?

Answer 14

720mg
+ cannot be sold with ephedrine

Question 15

What is the legal maximum prescription of ephedrine?

Answer 15

180mg
+ cannot be sold with pseudoephedrine

Question 16

What are some signs of possible misuse?

Answer 16

• lack of symptoms
• rehearsed answers
• opportunistic
• specific products
• quantities
• frequency

Question 17

What is a legal issue in terms of non effervescence tablets?

Answer 17

cannot sell more than 100 non-effervescence tablets
(3 x 32 packs = 96 maximum)

Question 18

what is the legislation surrounding effervescence tablets?

Answer 18

No legal limit on quantity of OTC effervescence tablets

Question 19

Who can prescribe?

Answer 19

• doctors
• dentists
• community practitioner nurse prescribers
• independant prescribers
• supplementary prescribers

Question 20

Legal requirements of codeine and dihydrocodeine?

Answer 20

• short term of acute treatment
• no more than 32 unit dose
• can cause addiction
• for 3 days only

Question 21

What are the prescription types?

Answer 21

WP10 = Gp
WP10D = dentist
WP10CN = nurses prescribing from Nurse Prescribers’ Formulary for Community Practitioners
WP10SP = supplementary prescribers
WP10IP = independant prescribers

Question 22

What can you prescribe?

Answer 22

• Licensed drugs (POMs, Ps, GSLs, foods, toiletries or cosmetics)
• Off label and off licence medicines
• Unlicensed medicines
• Controlled Drugs (CDs) – Year 2
• Some appliances or chemical reagents
• Selected List Scheme medicines (SLS)
• Borderline Substances (ACBS)

Question 23

What are 5 questions to ask about a prescription?

Answer 23

• nature of product
• prescriber type
• dental or nurse prescribers formulary
• form type
• prescriber endorsements