Sale & Supply of Medicine

Question 1

What regulation is in place fro medicines?

Answer 1

Human medicines Regulations 2012

(replacing most of medicines Act 1968)

Question 2

HMR2012

Answer 2

“A person may not sell or supply a Prescription Only Medicine except in accordance with a prescription given by an appropriate practitioner.”

Question 3

POM

Answer 3

Prescription-only-medicine

Question 4

Generics - name/ brand of drug

Answer 4

“If a medicinal product is prescribed by reference to its brand name, only the product bearing that brand name may be supplied; a therapeutically equivalent generic product may not be supplied instead.”

Question 5

What can be prescribed?

Answer 5

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 6

How is pharmacy funded?

Answer 6

By NHS as they are a private body e.g. Boots

(pay for medicines and get reimbursed)

Question 7

Drug Tariff

Answer 7

It defines a limited list of allowable items which may be prescribed by dentists and nurses using NHS prescriptions.

Question 8

Whats important when assessing a prescription?

Answer 8

1. Nature of product
2. Prescriber type
3. Dental or Nurse Prescribers’ formulary
4. Form type
5. Prescriber endorsements

Question 9

What is the blacklist?

Answer 9

Items not permitted on NHS prescriptions
Found in chapter XVIIIA of the drug tariff
Key information in the BNF:

Question 10

What can doctors, dentists and community practitioners nurses prescribe?

Answer 10

• Doctors can prescribe any licensed drug
• Dentists can only prescribe within the Dental Practitioners’ Formulary
• Community Practitioners Nurses prescribers can only prescribe within the Nurse Prescribers’ Formulary

Question 11

Selected List Scheme (SLS)

Answer 11

Drugs that may be prescribed in certain circumstances
The ‘selected list’ is found in Part XVIIIB of the Drug Tariff
The Prescriber must endorse the prescription with the term ‘SLS’ (selected list scheme)

Question 12

The Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances (ACBS)

Answer 12

Borderline substances include certain foods and toilet preparations.
Part XV of the Drug Tariff.
The prescriber must endorse the prescription specifically with the term ‘ACBS’.

Question 13

A prescription must be…

Answer 13

1. Signed in ink
2. Written in ink or indelible
3. Dispensed within six months (beginning with the appropriate date) - incase their medical condition changes

Question 14

Electronic Transfer of Prescriptions

Answer 14

‘2DRx’ stands for 2-Dimensional Barcoded (2D) Prescriptions (Rx)

• reduced HUMAN ERROR (copying the prescription onto another prescription

Question 15

Legal check…

Answer 15

Legal to dispense need to check;
1. Name patient
2. address of the patient
3. Age of patient (if under 12)
4. Signature
5. Date
6. Address (of doctor)
7. Particulars - person writing prescription is allowed to do so

Question 16

Forged prescriptions - red flags!!

Answer 16

1. Unknown prescriber
2. New patient
3. Excessive quantities
4. Uncharacteristic prescribing or method of writing prescription by a known doctor
5. “Dr” before or after prescriber’s signature

Question 17

Forged prescriptions - red flags!!

Answer 17

1. Unknown prescriber
2. New patient
3. Excessive quantities
4. Uncharacteristic prescribing or method of writing prescription by a known doctor
5. “Dr” before or after prescriber’s signature

Question 18

Endorsements:

Answer 18

• What was actually supplied?
• Stamp (with date) with pharmacy stamp to indicate completion (patient/ member of public cannot get prescription AGAIN)