Pharmacy procedures and exemption to retail rules

Question 1

What are PSDs?

Answer 1

Written instruction from a doctor, dentist or non-medical prescriber for a medicine to be supplied or administered to a named patient after the prescriber has assessed the patient on an individual basis

Question 2

What is a PGD?

Answer 2

Written direction that allows the supply or administration of a medicine/medicines by a named authorised health professionals to a well defined group of patients requiring treatment for a specific condition.

It is not a form of prescribing

Question 3

What are optometrist or podiatrist signed patient orders?

Answer 3

• Optometrists and podiatrists cannot authorise supply of POMs unless they are independent prescribers so instead a pharmacist can supply the POM directly to patients if they have a signed patient order from the optometrist or podiatrist

Question 4

What else can a signed order allow the supply of?

Answer 4

Medicines to school
for example: adrenaline auto injectors or salbutamol

Question 5

What information should be included in a signed order for schools?

Answer 5

School name
Product details
Strength
Purpose
Total quantity
Signature of principle/head teacher

Question 6

How should a school SO be retained?

Answer 6

Retained for 2 years from the date of supply OR entry made in the POM register (good practice to do both)

Question 7

What do you need to document in the POM register?

Answer 7

• Date the POM was supplied
• Name, quantity, formulation and strength
• Name and address. trade, business or profession of the person to whom the medicine was supplied
• Purpose for which it was sold or supplied

Question 8

What does a serious shortage protocol permit?

Answer 8

Allows pharmacists to supply:
- Different strength, quantity or form of POM to that prescribed or
- Different POM to the one prescribed e.g. generic version