PLR- responsible pharmacist

explain what a responsible pharmacist is and why their roe was introduced , discuss what it involves , describe the requirements of thr rp role and apply then to practice in a community oharmacy and consider implications of the draft legislation that will result in current regulations

What lead to the RP role ?

limitations of the medicines act 1968

Medicines Act specified that to conduct a retail
pharmacy business lawfully, a pharmacist must be
in “personal control”
● Personal control of a pharmacy – interpreted as
being physically present in the pharmacy
● Did not allow pharmacists time and freedom to fulfil
ambitions in future direction of pharmacy services
● Need for changes in legislation to enable
pharmacists to work more flexibly in providing
services.

What is the role of rp in 2008

• RP is responsible for securing the safe and effective running
  of the pharmacy- a pharmacy cannot operate without an
  RP
  ● In charge of the sale and supply of all medicines from
  registered premises
  ● There can be only one RP in charge at any one time
  ● An RP cannot be responsible for more than one pharmacy
  premises at any given tim

What does the role of rp involve ?

• secure the safe and effective running of the pharmacy 

• displaying a notice 

• completing the pharmacy record 

• pharmacy procedure for safe working 

Describe in more detail secure the safe and effective running of the pharmacy ?

• The RP is responsible for the safe and effective running of the pharmacy - if not
  deemed safe, pharmacy may need to close
  ● The RP must be ‘signed in’ so that people can identify them

● Record any absence- up to 2 hours allowed:
○ during the pharmacy’s business hours between midnight and midnight
○ If more than one RP in 24 hours, combined RPs absence in total is 2 hours

● Must remember to sign out again

Describe in more detail the role of displaying a notice ?

Must be clearly visible to patients and the
public:
● Must include:
○ Name of RP
○ GPhC Registration number
○ Fact that RP is in charge at that time
● If RP changes through the day, a new notice must be displayed

Describe in more detail the role of completing th epharmacy records ?>

• Important legal document- accurate and contemporaneous

• Paper record or electronic record

• If electronic, must be regularly backed up Entries must be made by RP personally

• records should be kept for 5 years

what must be recorded ?

The RP’s name
➢ The RP’s registration number
➢ The date and time at which the
pharmacist became the RP
➢ The date and time at which the RP
stopped being the RP
➢ If the RP is absent from the premises,the:
❖ Date of absence
❖ Time the RP left
❖ Time the RP returned

What should happen when the rp is recorded absent ?

the RP:
● Should be contactable
● Should be able to return with reasonable promptness
● Is still responsible for the safe and effective running of the pharmacy

Describe in more detail the pharmacy procedures for safe working 

• The RP must be satisfied that pharmacy procedures (SOPs) exist and are
  maintained and reviewed in the pharmacy they are working in

• Pharmacy procedures must ensure safe working.

Examples include:
○ Arrangements to secure that medicinal products are ordered; stored; prepared; sold
and supplied; delivered outside the pharmacy; disposed of safely
○ staff performing certain tasks e.g. dispensing, accuracy checking, BP measures
○ Arrangements for when the RP is absent from the premises, complaints, dealing with
errors etc. etc.

• Procedures should be reviewed regularly e.g. once every 2 years
   Can temporarily amend procedures if circumstances change- audit trail
  

WHAT ARE CURRENT SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES DEPENDING ON RP STATUS ?

Activity 1

Layla Safar is the RP in the pharmacy today. She started work at 9.00 am this
morning and finished at 6.00 pm. Her GPhC number is 2149320. She left the
premises at 1.45 pm for a meeting with a local GP to discuss the Pharmacy
Contraception service that she will be delivering. She arrived back at 2.20 pm

While Layla is recorded absent from the pharmacy:
(i) Labels have been generated for a large number of prescriptions. Can the
trained pharmacy technicians dispense and accuracy check the
prescriptions? Yes

(ii) Matthew Gibbs arrives to collect his prescribed medicines which have
already been dispensed and are sitting on the shelf, ready for collection. Can
his medicines be given out? No

(iii) The delivery driver arrives to collect all the made-up prescriptions to deliver
to patients at home. Can he remove them from the pharmacy to deliver? Yes

(iv) A gentleman comes in to buy loperamide 2 mg capsules for diarrhoea [GSL]
and Night Nurse® capsules for his cough and cold [P]. Can the products be
sold to him? P- No; GSL- Yes

Activity 2 -

The following day Jacob Knowles, the RP, is stuck in traffic and does not arrive
until 10 am. While waiting for Jacob to arrive

i) Can the trained pharmacy technicians dispense and accuracy check the
prescriptions? No

(ii) Can staff receive the morning order of stock that has been delivered and put
it away? Yes

(iii) The delivery driver arrives to collect all the made-up prescriptions to deliver
to patients at home. Can he remove them from the pharmacy to deliver? Yes

(iv) A lady comes in to buy Olbas Oil® to help ease her nasal congestion[GSL].
Can the product be sold to her? No

What are the new GPhC regulatory standards ?

GPhC proposed new regulatory standards:

● Pharmacists to authorise any member of the pharmacy team to hand out
checked and bagged prescriptions in the absence of a pharmacist

● Pharmacists to authorise registered pharmacy technicians to carry out, or
supervise others to carry out, the preparation, assembly, dispensing, sale and
supply of medicines

● Pharmacy technicians to supervise the preparation, assembly and dispensing of
medicines in hospital aseptic facilities