Anti-malarial

[laura/nottingham]

I have a little case study for my NVQ3.

Are Malarone and Doxycycline available over the counter for malaria prophylaxis?? I'm sure there not. And they are not available on the NHS. So are clients/patients in need of a private prescription for the drugs??

[Zoggite]

You are right, they are not available over the counter.
As for being available on the NHS: that's another matter.
They are not blacklisted, therefore they could be allowed; I think it's only DoH guidance that GPs shouldn't prescribe them on the NHS, not regulations; The SPC for malarone does mention a "Basic NHS price", and the BNF doesn't show the "NHS[crossed out]" symbol...

[jaymags]

I have seen many a private prescription for Doxycycline but not one for Malarone.

[GAZ]

You are right, they are not available over the counter.
As for being available on the NHS: that's another matter.
They are not blacklisted, therefore they could be allowed; I think it's only DoH guidance that GPs shouldn't prescribe them on the NHS, not regulations; The SPC for malarone does mention a "Basic NHS price", and the BNF doesn't show the "NHS[crossed out]" symbol...

ZOGGITE'S quite right - they can be prescribed on the NHS - the pharmacy will get paid - may be worth checking with the patient +/or prescriber to see if the patient is expecting to pay & how much - I've had a couple of anti-malarial scripts on FP10...the first one the patient had been quoted about £30 (we charged about £45ish - gp's usually quote trade prices to patient's, which is awfully considerate of them!) & it turned out the gp had printed the script on the wrong form!
the second one turned out to be a considered decision by the prescriber to script on FP10 as the patient's were going out to Africa on humanitarian relief work (not lying on a beach or on safari for 2 weeks etc) & gp would happily deal with PCT.... if they came a calling!

[Rafael]

if you are on a work related trip, you can get a NHS script for anti-malarial tabs, if you are on holiday, then nurse/GP will not issue NHS script and you have to get a private one and pay for it.
makes perfect sense for me...

[lamzee]

- I've had a couple of anti-malarial scripts on FP10...the first one the patient had been quoted about £30 (we charged about £45ish - gp's usually quote trade prices to patient's, which is awfully considerate of them!) & it turned out the gp had printed the script on the wrong form!

If the GP had written it (accidently) on an FP10, why did you not just let the customer have it for the 7.20 NHS charge (or whatever it is now)? It's still on an FP10 .....

[GAZ]

because we gathered from the patient they were going on holiday and knew that if we did dispense it (on FP10) the gp would (most likely) get some hassle from the PCT - we do like to look after those nice little gp's

[lamzee]

Don't you like to look after your high value customers too, who might decide to spend the money that they have saved, in your shop on sunscreen, jungle formula and all that, then blow another 40 quid after they come back on your in-store digital snaplab? Loyal customer for life...




I had 2 rxs once in Wales with 3 shots of rabipur on each. The old couple were in their 70s, hence fairly unlikely to be vets, lab workers, or employed in a quarentine shelter. I smiled, gave them their stuff for nothing etc.
A few weeks later I had my own Rx for rabipur to get dispensed. Private RX for me--grit teeth--but the friendly pharmacy owner let his favourite locum have them at cost price.

[GAZ]

Don't you like to look after your high value customers too, who might decide to spend the money that they have saved, in your shop on sunscreen, jungle formula and all that, then blow another 40 quid after they come back on your in-store digital snaplab? Loyal customer for life...




I had 2 rxs once in Wales with 3 shots of rabipur on each. The old couple were in their 70s, hence fairly unlikely to be vets, lab workers, or employed in a quarentine shelter. I smiled, gave them their stuff for nothing etc.
A few weeks later I had my own Rx for rabipur to get dispensed. Private RX for me--grit teeth--but the friendly pharmacy owner let his favourite locum have them at cost price.

point taken lamzee, but all i've picked up on is a genuine error by the doctor - do you not correct genuine doctors errors?

[lamzee]

point taken lamzee, but all i've picked up on is a genuine error by the doctor - do you not correct genuine doctors errors?

Only if they are prescribing/dosing errors, not if they are financial errors. For example, if a doctor forgets that betnovate RD exists and prescribes 25% betnovate in aqueous cream instead, then no, I wouldn't query it, as the shop can order the item as a special and get a big "settlement discount" from the specials lab, hence more profit, ( or in Ireland, make the extemp myself and get a big dispensing fee for the business).

My first priority is public safety, then secondly business profit. I used to know one pharmacy that supplied specials lab paracetamol suspension 500mg/5ml to a nursing home for years...... Margins are tight enough these days.

Just my opinion.