Primary Care Pharmacy June 2000 Vol 1 No 3 p88

Journal Club

Repeat prescribing

Bond C, Matheson C, Williams S, Williams P, Donnan P. Repeat prescribing: a role for community pharmacists in controlling and monitoring repeat prescriptions. Br J Gen Pr 2000;50:271-5.

A study which compared a community pharmacist-managed repeat prescribing system with established methods of managing repeat prescribing. The pharmacist identified compliance problems, side-effects, adverse drug reactions and drug interactions in 12.4 per cent of patients, which was significantly greater than in the control group. Significant savings associated with non-dispensing of prescriptions and identification of drug related problems were also realised.

What's in the medical press? - The rapidly changing situation in primary care means that it is often difficult to keep up to date with what is happening politically and clinically. This section of Primary Care Pharmacy will try to pick out a few articles that may be useful in day-to-day practice or have importance for the primary care role.