The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7203 p861-867
22 June 2002

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National Pharmaceutical Association (www.npa.co.uk)

NPA to issue series of SOP templates

The National Pharmaceutical Association is planning to issue templates which its members can use to create standard operating procedures for their pharmacies.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society says that the use of SOPs will be mandatory from January 2005. It has defined six steps for the dispensing process that will have to be covered by the procedures.

The NPA says the templates can be used by members to create individual SOPs that reflect the circumstances of their own pharmacies and the ways in which they operate. One template will be issued each month during 2003 and will be accompanied by forms to audit the process. The templates will also be available electronically.

The templates the NPA is to produce cover:

• Prescription receipt
• Pharmaceutical assessment
• Interventions and problem solving
• Assembly and labelling
• Checking procedures
• Transfer to the patient