The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 277 No 7424 p514
28 October 2006

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· Pfizer products (4)
· Superdrug
· Electronic prescribing
· Instalment prescriptions
· The profession
· Fractures
· Section 60 Order
· Local councils

Letters to the Editor

Instalment prescriptions

Some acceptable method of payment must be found

From Mr R. C. Wells, MRPharmS

I would like to express my support for the points made by Martin Bennett in his letter titled “New instalment prescriptions putting contractors in a difficult position” (PJ, 14 October, p449). We were also given advice earlier this year that, where several days’ methadone supply was split into individual dose amounts, claims for each amount could be made on a separate line, and would be reimbursed as individual items. More recent advice has contradicted this and we have seen a significant reduction in our July prescription numbers as counted by the Prescription Pricing Division compared with the count submitted by our branches, which dispense large volumes of methadone.

The concern we have is that if we are not to be reimbursed for the time taken to measure daily doses individually then we will be forced to supply in bulk for several days, thus increasing risk of larger amounts being “lost” or falling into the hands of children. Although we would accept that if only one entry is required in the Controlled Drugs register then only one CD fee is appropriate, some mechanism to pay a dispensing fee and container cost should be found.

Richard Wells
Superintendent Pharmacist
H. I. Weldrick Ltd

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