Page 26 - P4403.59-V60_Numark Pharmacy Magazine Feb 25
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Private
Prescription
success:
Compliance, efficiency,
and customer satisfaction
Pharmacies play a crucial role As for NHS prescriptions, private
in ensuring patients receive the prescriptions must include the
medications they need promptly prescriber’s signature, the practitioner’s
and accurately. One way to address, the appropriate date,
obtain medicines are with private particulars of the practitioner, and
prescriptions. By understanding this the patient’s name, address, and age
process pharmacies can reduce any if they are under 12. Professional due
errors, improve patient satisfaction, diligence requires pharmacists to
and ensure compliance with legal confirm the prescriber’s credentials
requirements. Here’s how effectively and registration and the authenticity
managing private prescriptions can of each prescription. By checking
bring value to your pharmacy. these details, pharmacies can
1. Ensuring Prescription Validity maintain compliance with regulatory
standards. Private prescriptions must
The first step in handling private be dispensed within 6 months of the
prescriptions is to verify their validity. appropriate date or 28 days for a
This involves ensuring that the schedule 4 CD.
prescription is either handwritten 2. Streamlining the Dispensing
in ink or computer-generated. A Procedure
prescription for non-schedule 2 or
3 CDs can be sent in an electronic Once a prescription is validated, the
form but must contain an advanced next step is the dispensing process.
electronic signature. The advanced Pharmacies should adhere to their
electronic signature is uniquely linked standard dispensing procedures,
to the prescriber and allows capability ensuring accuracy and efficiency.
of identifying the prescriber and once Even though repeat prescriptions can
the prescription is accessed and be returned to the patient, a simple
confirmed will ‘lock’ the prescription to discussion with the patient usually
the pharmacy so no other pharmacy means the pharmacy can keep the
contractor can access the same prescriptions until they are complete.
prescription. Prescriptions requesting By maintaining a streamlined
Schedule 2 and 3 controlled drugs dispensing process, pharmacies can
(CDs) must be on the designated improve workflow efficiency and
standardised forms. reduce wait times, thereby enhancing
• England – FP10PCD the overall patient experience.
• Wales – WP10PCD
• Scotland – PPCD(1)
• Northern Ireland – PCD1
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