Page 39 - P4403.59-V58_Numark Pharmacy Magazine December PRINT

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Prescriber Endorsement ‘FS’ for STI Treatments in England:
Expanding Access to Free NHS Medications
Prescriber Endorsement 'FS' for STIs

Free treatment for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) is provided by the
NHS from sexual health clinics. To improve access for patients, all prescribers
will be able to endorse prescriptions for the treatment of STIs with ‘FS’ to allow
prescription items to be provided free-of-charge in various settings (including
on FP10 prescriptions).
The endorsement will not be automatically applied to medicines used to treat
STIs and there will not be a specific list of medicines that can be endorsed
with FS. The prescriber will need to manually add this to prescriptions and
thereby indicate that the item prescribed is for the treatment of an STI and
should be provided to the patient free-of-charge. This will allow prescribers to
use their clinical discretion to confirm that the medicine prescribed is for the
treatment of STIs. Only prescribers will be able to add the FS endorsement.
The paper FP10 forms do not carry an exemption check box for items endorsed
as FS. For EPS dispensing systems, a category worded 'was prescribed free-of-
charge (FOC) sexual health medication' has been added. This category has the
Electronic Reimbursement Endorsement Message (EREM) code 0017, letter Y,
on dispensing systems for items endorsed as FS by the prescriber.
Where FS has been added as a handwritten endorsement, for example, on a
computer-generated form, this should be counter-signed in the usual way.
If patients are prescribed FS endorsed STI medicines mixed with medicines,
they would normally pay for then a prescription charge should be taken for the
non FS endorsed items.
Pharmacy contractors will be required to place all FS endorsed paper
prescriptions in the red separator and then submit to NHS BSA.

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P4403.59-V58_Numark Pharmacy Magazine December 244.indd 39
P4403.59-V58_Numark Pharmacy Magazine December 244.indd 39 11/11/2024 11:18:47