2. Law & ethics 1 - private prescriptions

How can you obtain a POM as a patient?

• valid prescription

• As emergency supply at request of a prescriber

• As emergency supply at request of patient (patient lets prescriber knows & prescriber makes request with promise that they will issue a prescription in 3 days

• By means of a Patient Group Direction (PGD)

How can you obtain a POM as a professional person?

• By wholesale from a pharmacy or wholesaler

• Restricted list of persons eg doctors, other pharmacies, midwives

Give a few examples of appropriate prescribers.

• Doctor

• Dentist

• Nurse independent prescriber

• Pharmacist independent prescriber

• EEA and Swiss doctors, dentists, pharmacists & nurses

• independent prescriber for: optometrist, podiatrist, physiotherapist, radiographer, paramedic

How does private prescriptions differ to NHS ones?

• No standard format (except CDs)

• Mostly the same info as NHS scripts

• Qualifications of prescriber indicating if they’re a doctor, dentists or vet

note: all vet prescriptions are private.

Outline the 7 legal requirements for a NHS or private prescription.

How do patients find HCPs working privately & give examples?

• via recommendations or advertisement.

• private hospitals include BUPA, medi-centrees & single practices.

What do patients pay for?

• initial consultation and any tests

• for prescription to be written

• for medicines to be dispensed

How do we track private prescriptions for CDs?

• MUST be on standardised form – FP10PCD

• Prescriber identification number (not GMC, no. given by local authority stating they have permission to prescribe CDs) on script

• Scripts sent off with rest of NHS scripts at end of month to NHS BSA (business service authority)

• Some pharmacies keep photocopy

• No repeats allowed (for Sch 2 & 3)

What are repeats?

• Repeatable prescriptions are prescriptions against which medicines can be dispensed more than once

• indicated by the prescriber (e.g. repeat x 3)

Note: this would be a total of 4 times

If the no. of repeats is not stated how many times can it be repeated & how many total dispensings?

• only to be repeated once

• 2 total dispensings

When must the first dispensing be made for normal repeats, Sch 4 CDs & Sch 2 & 3 CDs?

• repeatable prescriptions - within 6 months

• Sch 4 CDs - within 28 days

• Sch 2 & 3 CDs - cant be repeated

Note: there is no legal time limit for remaining repeats so if ther

What if the private prescription is for an oral contraceptive and has “repeat” written?

It can be dispensed 6 times (i.e. repeated 5 times) within 6 months of the appropriate date.

What do you do after providing a repeat prescription?

• Write the prescription record straight away

• Stamp the prescription and say if its: 1st dispensing or 1st repeat or 2nd repeat etc & name and address of pharmacy

• Return the prescription to the patient if they want

• Patient has option to take to another pharmacy for next dispensing or come back to you

• May ask you to keep on file (if they want to collect later)

• You may receive a script to dispense for a repeat

How do payments work for private prescriptions?

• no standard arrangement of payment

• diff pharmacies may carge diff amounts but chain pharmacies e.g. boots will have a consistent method

• They look at the cost, add VAT & a dispensing fee for the service.

What are the requirements for a private prescription entry?

• Supply date

• Prescription date

• medicine details (name, quantity, formulation & strength supplied)

• Prescriber name & address

• patient name & address

note: repeat prescriptions only need supply date & reference to the first entry

Can records for private prescriptions be electronic?

Yes

Outline any other rules when making an entry.

• Record made on day of sale or supply or if not practical on next day

• Make entries in sequential order

• Keep book for TWO years from date of last entry