POMs - Legal issues Flashcards
What regulations restrict the supply of POMs
Human Medicines Regulations 2012
What must be present to ensure a prescription is legal?
- Signature of prescriber
- Address of the prescriber
- Date
- Particulars of prescriber
- Patient name
- Patient address
- Age (if under 12)
How long is a POM prescription valid for?
Up to 6 months from the appropriate date
What schedule drugs must only be supplied by a prescriber with a UK address?
Schedule 2 and 3
How many times can a repeat prescription be repeated without an indicated number?
Once
What medication is not accepted on repeat prescriptions?
Schedule 2 and 3
How many times can oral contraception repeat prescriptions be issued when no number is specified?
6 times total, 5 repeats
How long is a repeat prescription for a schedule 4 CD valid for initial supply?
28 days
How long is a schedule 2, 3 and 4 CD prescription valid for?
28 days
How long must private POM prescriptions been retained for?
2 years
What should be recorded in the POM register?
- Supply date
- Prescription date
- Medicine details
- Prescriber details
- Patient details
How long do you have to make a record in the POM register?
Should be completed same day, can be done next day if inappropriate or not possible
What medicines are exempt from POM record keeping restrictions?
Oral contraceptives
Schedule 2 CDs
What in the address of some prescriptions means the patient is exempt from charges
HMP
NHS dental prescriptions are only allowed relating to medicines found where?
The dental prescribers formulary
Where should fraudulent prescriptions be reported
NHS counter fraud services
What are the exclusions for emergency supplies
Schedule 1, 2 and 3 CDs and phenobarbital
What form are military prescriptions written on
FMed 296
What rate are military prescriptions charged at?
Private
What are the exemptions for medication allowed to be supplied on a FMed 296?
Schedule 2 and 3 CDs
What is required to be on a dispensing label
- Name of patient
- Name and address of supplying pharmacy
- Date of dispensing
- Name of the medicine
- Directions for use
- Precautions relating to the use of the medicine
What is recommended to be on a dispensing label?
- Keep out of reach and sight of children
- Use this medicine only on your skin (where applicable)
- Prisoner number (where applicable)
What can be changed on a label without contacting the prescriber?
- Directions for use
- Name/common name
- Precautions
What must be present on a label when the medicine has been packed down from bulk supply?
- Name of the medicine
- Quantity
- Quantitative particulars (ingredients)
- Handling and storage requirements (where appropriate)
- Expiry date/
- Batch reference number
What are the exemptions regarding requirement of a prescription?
- Patient group directives
2, Patient specific directions - Emergency supplies
- Optometrist or podiatrist signed patient orders
- Supplying salbutamol inhalers to schools
- Supplying adrenaline autoinjectors to schools
- Supply of naloxone by individuals providing recognised drug treatment services
What is a patient group directive?
Written directive that allows the supply and/or administration of a specified medicine or medicines by named authorised health professionals, to a well-defined group of patients requiring treatment for a specific condition
What are the requirements for the emergency supply of a medicine at the request of a prescriber?
- Relevant prescriber
- Emergency
- Prescription can be obtained in 72h
- Appropriate direction
- Not for CDs
- A record is kept
What medicines can be obtained by schools on signed orders?
Adrenaline auto-injectors
Salbutamol inhalers
What information should the signed order contain?
- Name of the school
- Product details - include spacers if relevant
- Strength
- Purpose for which the product is required
- Total quantity required
- Signature of principle/ head teacher
Ideally headed paper should be used - not a legal requirement
How do you determine the appropriate number of medicines a school can request?
- School size / number of sites
- Number of affected children
- Past experiences in the school
What records are kept when a signed order is received?
The signed order should be retained for 2 years AND/OR an entry made into the POM register
Concerning naloxone, who is considered to be engaged or employed in lawful drug treatment services?
- An NHS body
- A local authority
- Public Health England
- Public Health Agency
What medicines should be given alongside a PPP in female patients?
- Oral retinoids (isotretinoin)
- Thalidomide
- Lenalidomide
- Pomalidomide
- Valproate
What distribution controls are changed when a patient is on a PPP?
- Prescriptions are only valid for 7 days
- A maximum of 30 days supply can be given
What are the prescribing restrictions relevant to UK prescribers?
- When prescribing schedule 2 and 3 CDs, the prescriber address must be within the UK
- Schedule 1 CDs can only be prescribed under a home office licence
Which prescribers are unable to request emergency supplies?
- Veterinary surgeons
Which prescribers are unable to prescribe CDs?
- Optometrist IP
- Advanced paramedics
- Limitations for physiotherapists
- Limitations for podiatrists/ chiropodists
- Radiographer IP
- Community practitioner nurse prescriber
What are the restrictions for supply of CDs by physiotherapists?
- For oral administration - diazepam, DHC, lorazepam, morphine, oxycodone and temazepam
- For injection - morphine
- For transdermal administration - fentanyl
What are the restrictions for supply of CDs by podiatrists/chiropodists?
- For oral administration - diazepam, DHC, lorazepam and temazepam
What are the limitations of nurse/midwife IPs in relation to CDs?
Can prescribe CDs, but not codeine, diamorphine or dipipanone
