Society wants Department of Health to introduce policy of dispensing
medicines in original packs
Splitting medicines’ original packaging can undermine patient
safety |
Original pack dispensing
OPD is standard in most of the EU, apart from in the UK where
about 45 per cent of prescriptions are dispensed from bulk or split
packs.
All new medicines licensed after 30 October will have to be
in packs that bear their names, strength and dosage form in Braille.
Braille readers will only benefit from this if medicines are
dispensed
in their original packaging. |
Full implementation of original pack dispensing (OPD) is to be sought by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society — a move supported by other pharmacy organisations.
Following a decision
of the Society’s Council this month (PJ, 13
August, p200), the Society is to try to persuade the Department of Health
to redirect funding to support full implementation of OPD except where
it is not in the best interest of individual patients.
The Society’s head of practice, Sue Kilby, said: “The Society
has supported in principle original pack dispensing for some years. To
date there has been a certain amount of reluctance to bring in original
pack dispensing as standard practice, largely because of the perceived
cost implications. However, the Society believes the introduction of
original pack dispensing will have a number of benefits. In particular,
patients will receive their medicines in packs which have the relevant
patient information leaflet, this will provide patients with information
on how to take and store their medicines and they will also be aware
of any potential side effects, interactions or contraindications.”
The Society’s decision has the support of the National Pharmacy
Association, which called for full implementation of OPD at the beginning
of July.
An NPA statement said: “Patients have a right to expect to receive
the same service as other European citizens and will expect to be given
medicines in the patient packs designed for them by the manufacturers.
The Government cannot ignore this issue any longer. Pharmacists sit between
a rock and a hard place on this issue and patient safety is being undermined.
The Government needs to face up to its obligations, put its hand in its
pocket, and make the regulatory changes necessary to allow for the routine
use of patient packs.”
Lindsay McClure, head of information at the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating
Committee, said: “In the course of the new contract negotiations
we have discussed the need to move, as far as practicable, to patient
pack dispensing. Both the PSNC and the Department of Health recognise
that this cannot be a comprehensive move but we expect to make progress
on this in the near future.”
She added that previous discussions over many years had collapsed because
the NHS refused to indemnify contractors against the costs of making
the transition.
“We need to ensure that implementation of patient pack dispensing
does not lead to a loss for contractors,” she said.
Wendy Harris, senior pharmacist at the National Patient Safety Agency,
added: “The NPSA welcomes any initiative to ensure that patients
receive the original manufacturers’ packs, to assist them in differentiating
between their different medicines and preventing opportunities for harm
directly attributable to the packaging. Patients currently receive medicines
from a variety of locations within the NHS, and provided by numerous
professionals.” She added that the medicines are often removed
from the original packaging and supplied to the patient in undifferentiated
and poorly labelled containers. “Consequently...a patient may receive
some or all of their medicines in lookalike packaging and labelling,
providing little visual clue for identification of the correct medicine.”
A spokesman for the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry
said that OPD is something it has long been campaigning for. “OPD
helps ensure product integrity and that patients receive vital information
leaflets with every pack. With the Royal Pharmaceutical Society on board
OPD will hopefully soon become a reality.”
Proposals that would have led to the implementation of original pack
dispensing in the UK were put forward early in 1997 by the then Conservative
government. But they were killed off on cost grounds later that year
after the election of a Labour government (PJ, 15 November 1997, p794). |
The
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