The Pharmacist - Semester 1 Flashcards
List three ways in which UK legislation protects the public in regards to medicines use
- Restrictions for drug crime, self medication and addiction
- Manufacture, distribution and supply are controlled to ensure drug purity, potency and efficacy
- Suppliers must adhere to a professional code of conduct
List three legislations relating to medicines
Medicines Act
Misuse of Drugs Act
Poisons Act
Define Pharmacovigilance
Drug safety through detection, assessment, monitoring and prevention of side effects
What is a medicinal product?
- A substance that shows properties of treating/preventing disease
- A substance that is administered for medical diagnosis or to alter physiological function
What is an authorised medicinal product?
- A medicine with a marketing authorisation
- Homeopathics with a certificate of registration
- Herbal remedies with traditional herbal registration
What is a relevant medicinal product?
A medicine with a marketing authorisation
What is a medicinal purpose?
- Treatment, prevention or diagnosis of disease
- Alteration of normal physiological function
- Contraception and anaesthesia
Define ‘administer’
Give to a human being either orally or parenterally (non-oral route)
What should be considered when using professional judgement?
- Professional code of conduct
- Ethical standards
What is the difference between Great Britain and the United Kingdom?
- GB = Wales, England, Scotland
- UK = GB + Northern Ireland
What is the difference between criminal and civil law?
- Criminal law refers to a situation where an individuals actions are harmful to society and can result in a jail sentence
- Civil law refers to a dispute between two individuals and is usually settled with a compensatory payout
What is a dispensing error convicted as?
Criminal offence
What does UK law consist of?
Primary legislation (acts) and secondary legislation
How is an act altered?
- Production of a new act or addition of secondary legislation
What are statutory instruments?
Secondary legislation providing detail relating to an act
What are schedules?
They contain detail that is separate to that contained in an act or secondary legislation
What is case/judicial law?
A situation where there is no clear law, so the judge makes a decision based on a previous, similar case
What does EU law consist of?
- Treaties
- Regulations - Direct, binding effects on member states
- Directives - Objectives set out but actions are for individual state to decide
- Decisions - Binding to the states it is aimed at
Who can implement EU law?
- European Commission
- EU Council
- European Parliament
- European Court of Justice
Can Pharmacists practise anywhere in the EU if registered?
Yes, they are recognised healthcare professionals with freedom of movement through the EU
Define a Prescription Only Medicine
- Can only be sold/supplied in accordance with a prescription from a relevant medical professional
What is usually classified as a Prescription Only Medicine?
- A medicine that can cause damage to health if used without supervision
- A medicine that is commonly misused with a detrimental effect to health
- Any new active substances
- A medicine that is not administered orally
Who is considered an appropriate practitioner to prescribe a POM?
- Doctors and Dentists
- Supplementary Prescribers (in accordance with a clinical management plan)
- Independent Prescribers (nurses and pharmacists)
Can other practitioners prescribe?
If independent prescribers, YES, but with restrictions
What are the Nurse/Dentist Prescribers Formularies?
They set out which drugs can be prescribed by a nurse IP or dentist on the NHS
If the prescribe outside of this, the medicine can be dispensed but the Pharmacy will not be reimbursed
What is supplementary prescribing?
A prescribing partnership in which a patient-specific clinical management plan is developed WITH THE PATIENT
What should a clinical management plan contain?
- Patient name
- Conditions that can be treated by supplementary prescriber
- Dates of commencement/review
- Details of relevant medicinal product
- Patient allergies/any difficulties
- What to do in the event of an ADR
- When supplementary prescriber should contact independent prescriber (doctor/dentist)
Same record should be used by IP and SP throughout treatment course
Who would be considered an EEA health professional and what restrictions do they have?
- EEA/Swiss Doctors, Dentists, Nurses, Midwives and Pharmacists
- Prescriptions are valid in the UK but Schedule 1-3 CDs cannot be prescribed
- Registration details should be checked
What are the UK legal prescription requirements?
- Name and address of patient and prescriber
- Particulars of prescriber
- Prescriber signature
- Date of prescription
- Patient age (if less than 12 years)
What are the time limits for dispensing a prescription?
- Within 6 months of appropriate date (POMs)
- Within 28 days of appropriate date (Schedule 2, 3, 4 CDs)
What are the dispensing conditions for repeatable private prescriptions?
- First dispense within 6 months, no time limit for repeat dispensing (unless schedule 4 CD - 28days)
- If number of repeats is unspecified only dispense twice for POMs and six times for contraceptives
What are the EEA/Switzerland legal prescription requirements?
- Patient details
- Prescriber details (including address and contact details)
- Prescriber signature
- Medicine details
- Date of issue
If Pharmacist can still understand prescription if written in another language, still legal to dispense
What medicines can Dentists prescribe?
Any POM but should prescribe within professional competence
Can medicines be supplied from a faxed prescription?
NO, not legally valid due to non-indelible ink/no signature
BUT if emergency supply at prescriber’s request, can be used to show there is a true prescription present
How are forged prescriptions generally identified?
- Commonly misused medicine?
- Do dosage and amounts seem correct?
- If prescriber is known does the prescription fit with their usual style of writing (if not should check)
- Patient behaviour
- Contact prescriber (not with details on prescription)
What are electronic prescriptions?
- They are created, signed and sent electronically
- Electronic signature should be unique to allow prescriber ID - only the prescriber can alter it (changes can be detected)
- More efficient and easier for patient
What are patient specific directions?
- Generally used in hospitals to supply medication without a prescription
- Written by prescriber and specific to an individual
- Supply made by appropriate practitioner according to drug chart and patient notes
- Directions do not have to be in writing but good practice
When should POM records be made and how long should they be kept for?
- All private POM prescriptions (except contraceptives)
- Made on day of supply or day after
- Kept for 2 years (from last dispensing if a repeatable prescription)
What should happen with an NHS POM prescription?
Sent to NHSBSA for funding
When should wholesale deals be recorded?
If signed order/invoice isn’t kept for 2 years
What are the legal requirements for a POM record?
- Dates for supply and prescription issue
- Details of POM supplied
- Name and address of patient and prescriber
What should be included on the label for a dispensed medicine?
- Name of patient
- Name and address of pharmacy
- Name and directions for medicine given
- ‘Keep Out of the Reach of Children’
- Cautionary/advisory labels
- Dispensing date
When can a Pharmacist alter directions for use?
- To optimise medicines use if details seem inappropriate
- Pharmacist can use professional judgement
What are Pharmacy Only medicines?
- Only dispensed in a registered pharmacy with pharmacist present
- Marketing authorisation is GSL but manufacturer has restricted sale to pharmacies
How may the class of a medicine be altered?
- Different strengths and pack sizes of a medicine may move it into different classes
- Marketing authorisation specifications can alter the class of a medicine
What classifies a medicine as POM?
- Part 1 of Schedule 1 in HMR
- Certain conditions can cause exemptions
When can CDs be sold as a P medicine?
If all the following exemptions are satisfied:
- Only one schedule 2 substance is present at a specified max strength
- Supplied in a specific form/packaging
- Is one of codeine, dihydrocodeine, ethylmorphine, morphine, pholcodeine (+salts) and medicinal opium
What are counter prescribed medicines?
A medicine which is supplied to a patient at their request by a pharmacist using their professional judgement
POMs cannot be given but a GSL given in this situation would be considered a P medicine
What are the restrictions for the sale of pseudoephedrine and ephedrine?
- Not sold together
- No more than 720mg of pseudoephedrine or 180mg of ephedrine (substance misuse)
- Sold through professional judgement
When can EHC be given as a P medicine?
When provided as a single dose
What are the restrictions for the sale of codeine and dihydrocodeine?
- Only 3 days use provided
- 32 tablet maximum as a P medicine
- Possibility of addiction stated on PIL and packaging
- Codeine linctus only for over 18s
What are GSL medicines?
Marketing authorisation allows general sale without a pharmacist present
Generally relates to an individual product rather than an active ingredient (hence one medicine being in multiple classes)
Where can GSL medicines be sold?
- Retail stores
- Retail pharmacies
- Automatic machines