It appears that in EPS Phase II pharmacies will print out what is currently the right hand side of the prescription form with the medication list and the exemption categories for the patient to sign. My view is that this is a backward step and transfers the detection of any errors and the risk of not detecting any too far down the line. For example, if the person operating the GP system picks a product in error on the picking list for repeat, or chooses the wrong product when transposing from a hospital letter etc, the prescription goes through the whole EPS system until anyone, if at all, notices this. If it is printed out at source, at least the patient can read it first! These days, we are all aware of liability - this seems another example of liability cascading down to the pharmacist as we will be the one to dispense the prescription correctly but at the same time perpetuate the error. The system needs to be designed so that the risk of an error getting into it in the first place is minimised. If it is printed as source it will also be easier to sort out a dispute as the pharmacy generated form will not be authentic enough for most patients. As well as this there is the matter of payment for the extra time spent doing this as well as the equipment, its upkeep and consumables.
You see in me a worried man.
Last edited by Pharmanaut; 23rd, April 2007 at 03:50 PM.
Reason: missing bits
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