Policy for Repeat Prescribing
ADHD Direct: Policy for repeat prescribing
Last Updated April 2022
Review Date: April 2024
Introduction
ADHD Direct patients can receive prescriptions for their ADHD medications in two ways. The policy for repeat prescribing describes the two processes where patients can obtain prescriptions:
- Through shared care arrangement between ADHD Direct and the patient’s GP
- Directly from ADHD Direct, whereby a private prescription is posted from ADHD Direct to the address provided by the patient
Repeat prescribing is an agreement between the patient, or patient’s parent/carer and the prescriber. It allows for issuing prescriptions at agreed intervals whereby the patient does not need to contact the prescriber before each issue of the prescription, until the date of agreed medication review appointment.
Purpose of the policy
The purpose of this policy is to define and describe management and processes of practice’s policy for prescribing medication on a repeat basis. The aim of the policy is to standardise the repeat prescribing processes and to enable staff to understand their roles and responsibilities around repeat prescribing, but also to allow patients of ADHD Direct to be familiar with the processes of repeat prescribing. The policy describes duties of both clinical and non-clinical staff involved in the process of repeat prescribing.
Deciding to prescribe items on repeat basis
Once a patient is stable on their optimised treatment, they can then be moved to repeat prescriptions.
Summary of private repeat prescribing process
Patients can be prescribed their medication by one of the ADHD Direct clinical staff. When that is agreed between the clinician and the patient, clinical and non-clinical staff will follow below process:
1. Prescription is written by prescriber and passed on to the administrator. All private prescriptions are hand-written, signed and dated by the prescriber.
2. Reminder with due date is set up by prescriber in Project Management System. That is to prompt the prescriber to write and arrange for posting next prescription.
3. Administrator scans the prescription, names and dates scanned file, and uploads to electronic patient’s file.
4. Administrator issues and emails an electronic prescription invoice to the patient.
5. Administrator addresses the envelope and affixes 1st class stamp.
6. The process described in points 1. to 5. is cross checked by Senior Administrator or by the Practice Manager.
7. Senior Administrator or the Practice Manager seals the envelope and prescription is posted to the patient.
Summary of repeat prescribing process where shared care arrangement is in place
Where patient’s GP prescribes medication based on shared care arrangement with ADHD Direct, patients will be collecting their prescriptions from their GP Practice, or the GP Practice Pharmacy. It will be the patient’s GP who will be writing NHS prescription.
In the letter that patient’s GP will receive from ADHD Direct’s clinician, the GP will be asked to continuously prescribe medication for the patient; both type and dose of the medication will be detailed in the letter. Also, an approximate date when patient will be required to meet with ADHD Direct clinician for medication review appointment will be shared with patient’s GP in the letter.
Repeat prescribing and regular medication reviews
Both, patients who receive private prescriptions from ADHD Direct, and those who collect NHS prescriptions from GP Practices must attend for regular Medication Review appointments. Intervals at which medication reviews should be arranged will be discussed with patients during appointments. It is required that patients who receive repeat prescriptions have regular Medication Review appointments with ADHD specialist every 3, 6 or 12 months.
Patients’ prescriptions – record keeping
Accurate record keeping is essential for high quality patients’ care. All private prescriptions are always scanned, named, and dated, and uploaded into electronic patient record. All clinical and non-clinical staff of ADHD Direct can access patient’s files at any time and if requested by the patient, share the files with patient himself/herself.
Security
Blank prescriptions must never be signed by a prescriber for later completion by practice staff. Unused space should be cancelled out under the last drug by the prescriber deleting the space manually. All prescription pads with blank prescriptions are stored in lockable storage. It is only the prescriber or the manager who can access prescription pads.
Responsibilities and accountability
It is responsibility of the Business Manager and CEO to ensure that prescription pads are ordered and delivered to ADHD Direct when required and to guarantee continuity of providing private prescriptions to patients.
Addressing queries and errors
1. Prescription queries raised by the pharmacy
Where pharmacist will have questions or queries related to the private prescriptions issued by ADHD Direct, the pharmacist should be contacting ADHD Direct by calling the practice: 0141 280 9201. Administrative staff will arrange for the prescriber to contact the pharmacist at earliest convenience.
2. Addressing problems/potential errors with prescriptions
In the unlikely event of the private prescription containing errors, patients are asked to contact ADHD Direct as soon as possible by calling the practice: 0141 280 9201. A new prescription will be issued and delivered to patient at no cost.
If a prescription that has been posted first class does not arrive, then any subsequent prescription may require to be posted by recorded delivery and this will be at the discretion of clinical staff and senior management. An additional administration fee of £10 will be met by the patient or the parent/carer of the patient.
Once a prescription has been posted, patients or parents of patients must present the prescription to a pharmacist within 28 days. After this time, the prescription will expire, and a new prescription will have to be requested and the cost of this must be met by the patient or parent of the patient.
