The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 271 No 7261 p189
9 August 2003

Society summary

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

Law and Ethics Bulletin, 2001 to present

Change to the types of outpatient FP10 prescription forms used in hospitals

Pharmacists are advised that in April a number of changes were made to outpatient FP10-type prescriptions, which are issued by hospital-based prescribers to be dispensed in the community. The changes do not affect internal prescriptions or orders for ward stock.

In England the blue FP10MDA form currently used by GPs will gradually replace the pink FP10HP (AD) form as stocks of FP10HP (AD) run out. Prescribers have been informed that FP10HP (AD) forms can be used until their stocks are exhausted or up to November 2003, when any remaining 0901 (or earlier) versions of the FP10HP (AD) should be withdrawn and replaced by the 0403 version of FP10MDA form.

In Wales the FP10HP (AD) will be replaced by a bilingual form issued as W10HP.

Prescribers have been informed that FP10HP (AD) forms can be used until their stocks are exhausted or up to December 2003, when any remaining FP10HP (AD) forms should be withdrawn.

There is currently no proposed change to the forms issued in Scotland.

Information about how to use MDA forms — either in computerised prescribing systems or as handwritten forms — was published in a Department of Health letter issued in March and available from the Department of Health website.

In addition, hospital-based prescribers are now able to use a computer prescription form, FP10SS (single sheet), currently used by general practitioners. The Department of Health has advised hospital prescribers using such forms to print their name and telephone number (including bleep number) on the FP10 in case the community pharmacist has a query about the prescription and needs to contact the prescriber about this.

More information about English prescription forms (including which versions are out of date) and contact details can be found on the Department of Health website.