The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 279 No 7478 p552
17 November 2007

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Pharmacists in Scotland should separate prescribing and dispensing

Pharmacist independent prescribers in Scotland will not normally be able to dispense prescriptions they have written, according to regulations laid before the Scottish Parliament last week.

The regulations state that pharmacist independent prescribers should not supply an item they have ordered on a prescription except in two situations: where there are exceptional circumstances which make it in the best interests of the patient to make a supply or where the patient is unlikely to be able to obtain the item without excessive inconvenience or delay. In either case, the pharmacist independent prescriber must endorse the prescription with the words “self-dispensed”.

Further legislation to enable pharmacist independent prescribing in Scotland is expected soon (PJ, 20 October, p429).

The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 3) Regulations 2007 come into force on 30 November 2007 and can be accessed online