The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 272 No 7293 p415
3 April 2004

This article
Reprint
Photocopy

PDF 75K, Acrobat Reader

· Veterinary pharmacy
· Indemnity insurance
· Methadone
· Excipients
· Self-prescribing
· Pharmacist prescribing
· Sugar in medicines
· NMS

Letters to the Editor

Self-prescribing

Check a doctor’s status

From Mr M.-J. Whitehouse

One evening during my community preregistration secondment, a doctor approached the pharmacy counter wishing to write a private prescription. I asked for some form of identification and he produced an official hospital badge stating that he was a doctor. On further inspection of his ID, I noticed that he was in fact a preregistration house officer (PRHO) and, although still a “doctor”, held only a “provisional licence” with the General Medical Council.

It is worth noting that although PRHOs possess a GMC registration number, they are legally prohibited from issuing prescriptions other than those issued under the supervision of their supervising consultant. Most hospital pharmacists are able to distinguish easily between PRHOs and those doctors permitted to self-prescribe, such as senior house officers and registrars. However, this is more difficult to discern in the community. In this instance, I contacted the GMC, which confirmed my suspicions.

Supplying prescription-only medicines without a valid prescription is an offence, and pharmacists should therefore consider seriously the prescribing status of the doctor before making a supply.

Marc-James Whitehouse
Preregistration Trainee
Frenchay Hospital, Bristol

Send your letter to The Editor

Previous Topic (Excipients)
Next Topic (Pharmacist prescribing)