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Sale and Supply of Medicinal Products (POMs)

• Focuses on dental prescriptions and other Rx’s.

• Covers key aspects of prescribing in hospitals.

• Relevant laws relating to pharmacy included in the MPharm curriculum.

Intended Learning Outcomes

• Understanding Legal Requirements for Prescription Only Medicines (POMs):

  • Dental prescriptions

  • Faxed prescriptions

  • Forged prescriptions

  • Electronic Transfer of Prescriptions (ETP)

  • Prescribing in hospital

• Patient Specific Directions (PSDs):

  • Usage in hospital settings.

• Record Keeping for POMs on Rx:

  • Importance of accurate records.

• Labeling of Dispensed Medicinal Products (DMPs):

  • Legal requirements for labeling DMPs.

Patient Specific Directions (PSD)

• Definition and Context:

  • Written direction from a prescriber allowing supply of POMs without a traditional prescription.

  • Must be patient-specific under legal requirements.

  • Facilitates the sale or supply against patient’s bed cards such as drug kardex/chart or patient notes.

Prescription Chart Example (Page 4)

• Prescription Chart Elements:

  • Basic information:

    • Hospital Number, Consultant's Name, Patient's Allergen Information.

  • Drug Administration:

    • Approved drug name, dose, route, signature, pharmacy indication.

• Antibiotic and Oxygen Prescriptions:

  • Structured format for regular drug administration times and dosing specifics.

  • Importance of direct supervision and documentation of administration.

Regular Prescriptions (Page 5)

• Administration Structure:

  • Sections for regular and as-required (PRN) medications.

• Documenting Regular Prescriptions:

  • Should include information on approval, doses, routes, and timings for each medication prescribed.

• PRN Medication Management:

  • Documentation of maximum doses in 24 hours and precise timing of administration.

Administering POMs in Hospitals (Page 6)

• Patient Specific Directions (PSD) Context:

  • Allows POMs to be supplied based on written directions instead of prescriptions.

  • Must be specific to individual patients.

• Practitioner Requirements:

  • Must be given by appropriate healthcare practitioners.

Administration Practices for POMs (Page 7)

• Written Directions:

  • Although written directions are preferred for clarity, they are not strictly necessary in an emergency.

  • Two nurse verification is a standard practice for safety.

• Policy Development:

  • Hospitals may create policies for administering POMs without written orders, especially during emergencies.

  • Routine administration is subjected to careful consideration and agreement.