owings

[quizbuff]

A pharmacy I locum for has been visited by a pharmacy inspector who said they should not photocopy prescriptions for owings as it could be considered fraud!! Is that because we should not claim for any of the items or part items if a patient fails to collect??? what if an item is non returnable..Is it not common practice to put scripts through even if uncollected??very confused now as to what is considered acceptable practice for owings... Nb A large multiple has in the past asked for all rx to be put through before year end if patients are over 60 and to photo copy them.. I assume this is now considered fraudulent ??

[STC]

The fraud isn't the photocopying of the scripts, it is the claiming of the full amount when only a part amount has been supplied. If the script has been photocopied then the inspector has obviously assumed the script has been processed as a full supply when only a part supply has been made. Of course there is the argument that as soon as you label and bag an item it has, in essence, been dispensed and you can therefore claim for it.

The multiple will be within the law if they instruct branch staff to destroy the owing portion that is sat on the shelf. They are then not claiming fraudulently.

Stephen

[bobbin]

When doing owings, take the patient's telephone number so that you can contact them when the owing is ready. When you call them, just check that the item is still required. If it is not, you can return the item to stock and adjust your endorsement accordingly. Assuming the item is required and the patient agrees to collect (or you deliver), photocopy the script and attach the copy to the bag. If you have called the patient to confirm, they really have no excuse for not collecting.

It is not financially viable to have scripts attached to bags for several months. Taking a telephone number can avoid this.

[Raju]

This is quite a tricky subject - because some inspectors will raise it as an issue, whereas the majority won't.

There is no fully satisfactory answer.

Imagine you have a script with 5 items, and 4 of them are dispensed. It is not financially viable for the pharmacy to keep the script back for up to 6 months just for that 1 item (it would affect cash flow very badly). Marking it ND or part dispensed it not right either - because the patient has a legal right to receive the medication for the period of validity of the script. And finally its not quite right to put the script through and claim payment when there is a possibility that the script will never be collected.

My personal belief is that the 3rd and last option is reasonable provided some of the script at least has been dispensed.

[DavidS]

The multiple will be within the law if they instruct branch staff to destroy the owing portion that is sat on the shelf. They are then not claiming fraudulently.

Stephen

Well, Stephen, this is ridiculous, as I'm sure you will agree. If I issue an owing slip, then dispense the owing, it becomes the patient's property, IMO. I believe that under certain circumstances I would be entitled to charge the patient for storing it, and indeed some retailers (notably drycleaners) do say that they reserve the right to sell or otherwise dispose of uncollected items after a period of time.

Perhaps we need to have printed on our owing slips that the pharmacy will dispose of the owing after six months, if the item is uncollected.

Throwing it away is just a senseless waste of resources, and damaging to the environment. It goes back into stock if I have anything to do with it.