BRM rejects routine GP notification of emergency supply details
A motion suggesting that pharmacists who make emergency supplies should send details of the supplies to the patients’ GPs as a matter of routine was rejected by the branch
representatives’ meeting.
Proposing the motion, Martin England (Brighton) said that it would benefit
patient safety. Many GPs were not even aware that pharmacists could make
emergency supplies, so contact with GPs would help to promote the service
to patients. Information sent to GPs might highlight deficiencies in
the repeat prescription ordering process and help prevent abuse of the
system.
Tony Pugh (Brighton), seconding, said that a request for an emergency
supply could indicate the over- or under-use of the product and the patient
may be in need of proper medical attention.
Zafar Khan (West Metropolitan) said that he ran the only 24-hour pharmacy
in Britain and knew the importance of emergency supplies and recording.
He supported the motion because it was important that GPs should know
what has been supplied to their patients.
But Angela Alexander (Slough) said that the motion would not achieve
what was claimed. If the profession wanted to let GPs know about emergency
supplies, there were better methods than sending bits of paper. And if
pharmacists were aware that GPs’ repeat prescribing systems need
auditing, they should tell them directly.
If there was an issue of patient safety, the pharmacist should notify
the GP anyway, without having to be told to do it.
|
The
Pharmaceutical Journal