The Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Professional Standards Directorate has published guidance for community pharmacists on planning for the millennium holiday period.
The guidance appears on an A4-size laminated card, which is being distributed with this week's issue of The Journal to community pharmacists with registered addresses in Britain.
The card gives advice on the management of repeat prescriptions that might run out over the holiday period and on ensuring that the pharmacy has sufficient stock of medicines, including, where necessary, any regularly required specials. It also advises on planning for possible product substitution in cases where wholesaler stock shortages occur.
The guidance advises pharmacists to check on opening hours of local doctors, drug dependency units, other pharmacies, wholesalers and banks and to inform patients and local surgeries of their own opening dates and times.
The reverse of the card gives specific information on handling Controlled Drug prescription problems and emergency supplies of prescription-only medicines over the holiday period.