Page 20 - P4304.1-V97_PS-Magazine-May 2024

Mailbox Caroline Pond answers

some of your most
recent questions…

A. The answer here is no and yes! There are a number
of important points to understand here. Let’s go
Q. Are dressings counted as PA
through them one by one.
(Personally Administered) items
Firstly, dressings are not PAs. Important fact here
and can they be dispensed to a
non-dispensing patient?
as there are a number of considerations and actions
that result as a consequence of understanding this
fact.
• Had dressings been PAs then you would indeed be
able to supply to a non-dispensing patient
• The prescription would be free of a prescription
charge even if the patient would usually pay, as
PAs do not attract a prescription fee
• You would be paid the PA (VAT) allowance on the item by NHS prescription
services in lieu of the VAT that you would not be able to claim if the dressings were
to be used by the practice nurse
However dressings are not PAs unless they contain a general anaesthetic so non of
the above points are valid BUT dressings are appliances and there are circumstances
when you can supply appliances to a non-dispensing patient without breaching your
contract. Lets go through this in more detail.
• Your contract does not allow you to dispense to non-dispensing patients
• If an item is in part 9 (Appliances) of the drug tariff then the item can be
dispensed by a DAC (Dispensing Appliance Contractor). Wardles, NWOS and
Nucare are all DACs.
• If you supply appliances via a DAC on an agency basis you are no longer
dispensing the prescription and as such you can supply to non-dispensing
patients.
• The DAC will pay you an agents fee and you will send them the prescription to
submit to Prescription Services rather than submitting yourself.
So, as long as you supply a dressing on an agency basis then you can provide the
dressing to the patient but you will need to remember to collect any prescription
charges due for each item as this will not be an exempt supply in the same way as it
would be had the item have been a PA.

Q. If a patient or someone A. In order to issue a refund and then claim the
collecting on a patients behalf
pays for a prescription item and the
money back you will need to issue an FP57 receipt to
prescription has subsequently been
the patient for the prescription charges paid. As long
submitted to Prescription Services
as you have this receipt and can see the proof of
at the month end, what can we do
exemption then you can issue the refund and submit
if the patient realises that they are
the FP57 at month end.
in fact exempt? Can we action a
refund of any sort and if so how?

20 PS Magazine | Mailbox Buy direct online at PSUK.co.uk

15/04/2024 11:42:47
P4304.1-V97_PS-Magazine-May 2024.indd 20 15/04/2024 11:42:47
P4304.1-V97_PS-Magazine-May 2024.indd 20