The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7190 p414
23 March 2002

An occasional feature, prepared in the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Professional Standards Directorate, to highlight problems and inquiries currently being handled

• Safe storage of methadone in the home
• Retention of private prescriptions

Safe storage of methadone in the home

Accidental poisoning by methadone still occurs, particularly as a result of children ingesting a parent's methadone. Pharmacists should not only ensure that child resistant closures are used but, when methadone is supplied to a patient to take away from the premises, should also put across the message that the methadone should be stored safely away from children's reach.

A pharmacist who has concerns regarding the safe storage of dispensed methadone may wish to raise these concerns with both the patient and prescriber as appropriate.

Concerns could arise, for example, not only where children are concerned but also where other drug misusers reside at the same address. In such circumstances, it may be more appropriate for the doctor to prescribe smaller quantities of methadone more frequently or to consider supervised administration in order to reduce the risk of accidental overdosage.

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Retention of private prescriptions

Pharmacists are reminded that where no repeats are specified on a private prescription calling for a prescription-only medicine, the prescription must be retained at the dispensing pharmacy even if the full amount of medicine is not supplied.

For example, a prescription calling for eight Viagra 100mg tablets, which the patient wished to pay for in two instalments of four, must be retained by the pharmacy after the first part supply and the patient must return to that pharmacy for completion of the prescription.

If the prescription bears more than one POM item on a prescription, the part dispensing of any of those items means that the prescription must be retained by the pharmacy making the supply.

An example might be a prescription calling for one salbutamol inhaler, repeatable three times, and 21 amoxicillin capsules 500mg. If the amoxicillin capsules and one salbutamol inhaler are dispensed, then the prescription must be retained by the pharmacy. If the patient wishes to collect his repeat medication then he must return to that pharmacy.