Download Flowchart and Checklist

Community Pharmacy Briefing:
When patients need repeat medication out of hours
START
HERE
Patient needs supply of repeat
medications, e.g.


has come on holiday and forgotten to
bring their medicines
has forgotten to order routine
medication in good time
CHECK – does patient really need to
obtain the medicine(s) urgently?
For example, if it is the weekend, what
supply of medicines do they have left;
will it wait until a weekday?
EMERGENCY SUPPLY AT THE REQUEST OF A PRESCRIBER
Can the patient make contact with their home GP to arrange for them to
fax/post a prescription to the pharmacy?
OPTION 1
EMERGENCY SUPPLY AT THE REQUEST OF A PATIENT
Can the medications requested be provided by an emergency supply?
Remember there are specific conditions for emergency supply, i.e.:
 Patient is present in person
 Patient can provide details of normal GP and/or evidence the
medicines requested are prescribed regularly (for example repeat slip,
labelled boxes)
 Supplies of schedule 1, 2 or 3 controlled drugs are NOT permitted
 Charging arrangements are as per the pharmacy’s own policy.
THE PHARMACIST CAN ACCESS MEDICAL ADVICE
OPTION 2
OPTION 3
Pharmacists can call ….. in case of emergency only. This allows them to
access a health professional through the OOH service and which may be
used for genuinely urgent medication requests, for example medicines
urgently needed for epilepsy, diabetes or respiratory disease.
It is important that this number is restricted to pharmacist use only.
Patients should not use this number as they would not be able to get
appropriate assistance.
If the patient is a Dorset resident, advise them of the appropriate measures that may assist
them in preventing this happening again, eg repeat dispensing, managed repeats, and ordering
prescriptions in plenty of time
INAPPROPRIATE SIGNPOSTING
Please remember that it is not appropriate to signpost patients seeking repeat medications to
the Out Of Hours service or to local MIU or A&E departments.
Correct at June 2013 – Please refer to the most up to date copy of the MEP.
CHECKLIST FOR PROVISION OF AN EMERGENCY SUPPLY AT THE REQUEST OF THE PATIENT
(ADAPTED FROM MEDICINES ETHICS AND PRACTICE)
This checklist is provided as a reminder for Dorset pharmacies. The responsible pharmacist should be aware
of the most recent legislation when deciding whether and emergency supply is appropriate.
Criteria
Tick
Patient is present in person (may be interviewed by telephone in exceptional circumstances)
Inform patient that if an emergency supply is possible, that the service is not free, patient will be
asked to pay for the medicine(s) required
Patient has previously been prescribed the medicines requested by a:

UK doctor

UK supplementary prescriber

UK dentist

UK optometrist independent prescriber

UK nurse independent prescriber

UK pharmacist independent prescriber

UK community nurse practitioner
OR

European Economic Area (EEA*) doctor or dentist **

Swiss doctor or dentist**
There is an immediate need for the medicines to be supplied AND the time interval from when the
medicine was last used to the time of requesting an emergency supply has been considered
(referral to prescriber may be necessary)
Patient has proof of medicines prescribed (e.g. copy of repeat list or labelled box)
If patient has no proof of medicines supplied, can the patient supply details of their GP, for the
purpose of obtaining details of regularly prescribed medication?
None of the drugs to be supplied are in controlled drug schedules 1, 2 or 3***
If any of the drugs to be supplied are in controlled drug schedules 4 or 5, you are satisfied that
supply of these drugs is appropriate, and there is no risk of misuse or diversion
The dose and frequency of the drugs to be supplied is clear
Appropriate supply is provided (no more than 30 days except for insulin, cream/ointment, and
inhalers, where smallest pack available should be supplied, and oral contraceptives, where a full
cycle should be provided).
Appropriate records of the supply are made:

Date of supply

Name and address of patient

Quantity of medicine(s) supplied

Nature of emergency

Name, strength and form of medicine(s) supplied
Please follow your pharmacy SOP for making records of the supply.
“Emergency Supply” has been added to the label of medicine(s) supplied
** requests made by a patient of an EEA or Swiss doctor/dentist cannot be supplied if they are for
medicines that do not have a marketing authorisation in the UK.
*** except in cases of phenobarbital for epilepsy, for patients registered with a UK prescriber.
Correct at June 2013 – Please refer to the most up to date copy of the MEP.
*List of EEA countries:
Austria
Estonia
Iceland
Luxembourg
Romania
Belgium
Finland
Ireland
Malta
Slovakia
Bulgaria
France
Italy
Netherlands
Slovenia
Cyprus
Germany
Latvia
Norway
Spain
Czech Republic
Greece
Liechtenstein
Poland
Sweden
Denmark
Hungary
Lithuania
Portugal
United Kingdom
Correct at June 2013 – Please refer to the most up to date copy of the MEP.