Repeat Prescribing and NHS Repeat Dispensing

Flashcards on Repeat Prescribing and NHS Repeat Dispensing

Repeat Prescribing

An agreement between a patient and a prescriber that allows the patient to receive medication regularly without needing to see the prescriber each time.

Responsible Prescriber

The person writing the prescription, whether it’s acute, first or repeat, and is accountable if something goes wrong.

Safe Prescribing Service

Ensuring the right patient gets the right prescription, the correct dose is supplied, the patient’s condition is monitored, and staff are competent.

Drugs suitable for repeat prescribing

Drugs that don’t require regular monitoring, such as antihistamines.

Drugs NOT suitable for repeat prescribing

Hypnotics, antidepressants, disease-modifying agents, Warfarin and Lithium

System Monitoring for Over/Under-use

Automatically tells you if a patient is early or late collecting their medication.

Acute/non-repeat requests

Pass request to prescriber to reduces risk and allow for them to use their medicial knowlege

NHS Repeat Dispensing

Enables dispensing of regular medicines in instalments to suitable patients over a defined period of time.

Patients suitable for NHS Repeat Dispensing

long-term stable medication, single or multiple therapies, and patients that can appropriately manage seasonal conditions

Patients NOT suitable for NHS Repeat Dispensing

Medication requiring close monitoring and Sched 2/3 CDs

PRN medications in Repeat Dispensing

Written on a separate prescription and held by patient/pharmacy until needed to reduce medicine wastage.

Consent for Repeat Dispensing

Patient must give full informed consent – verbal or written.

Check when patient brings a RD to the pharmacy

Check that the patient is aware that the prescription is part of the Repeat Dispensing service, they understand it and have given consent

Pharmacist checks when processing RD

Check the prescription is computer-generated and that the RA is signed by the prescriber

Month-end processing for Repeat Dispensing

batch issue (RD) should be endorsed according to Drug Tariff Part 2 Clause 9, stamped using the dispensing pharmacy stamp and dated on the date the items were dispensed.

Electronic Repeat dispensing

Electronic transfer of Repeat Dispensing prescriptions from the surgery to the pharmacy via the NHS Spine

How an eRD is processed

The RD prescription is downloaded from the NHS Spine

Cancellations within eRD

Prescribers can make cancellations to whole prescriptions or single items and this will occur immediately.

RA differences between paper and electronic based

Valid for up to 12 months and will be annotated with GP repeat dispensing and have RA in the right column

Advantages of Repeat Dispensing for the Prescriber

Decreased workload, informs them when a medication review is due, Allows for early detection of medication-related problems

Advantages of Repeat Dispensing for the patient

Medication synchronisation, saves time, increased patient safety and increased pharmacy contact

Advantages of Repeat Dispensing for the pharmacy

Planned workloads, decreased patient queries, reduced wastage and Improved stock control

Advantages of Repeat Dispensing for the practice staff

Surgery much quieter, decreased workload, less phone calls and decreased queries

Issues of Repeat Dispensing for the Prescriber

Inappropriate patient selection criteria, inappropriate ‘set-up’ time and lack of confidence/understanding in the service

Issues of Repeat Dispensing Pharmacy

Poor collaboration with the surgery, maintaining a successful system for Repeat Dispensing patients

Issues of Repeat Dispensing Patients

Patients condition becomes unstable and service is no longer suitable for them