The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 267 No 7167 p425-429
29 September 2001

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Charge exemption

Get data from practice computers

From Dr B. P. Curwain, MRPharmS

I note that the temporary arrangement for accepting as exempt, prescriptions where the patient’s age, or age group, is printed by the surgery computer, has been extended to May 2002 (PJ, 15 September, p340).

For heaven’s sake, would somebody explain to the civil servants concerned that date of birth is normally entered accurately on the doctor’s computer and to make this extension permanent would reduce the extraordinary and unnecessary requirement to get children’s and elderly patients’ prescriptions filled in. The process of checking exemption (whoever does it) would then concentrate on those where there is genuine doubt as to status.

It would be better to ensure that all practice computer systems printed the age of children or “over 60” on the prescription forms than to spend time sorting, sending back and denying payment for forms incorrectly (and unnecessarily) filled in.

Brian Curwain
Chief Pharmacist,
New Forest Primary Care Trust

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