Hi-Tech scripts..your interpretation.

[Fleegle]

I remember a year or so back, there was a problem with the Hi-Tech Rx system. It involved a consultant who was extremely unhappy that a pharmacy had continued to dispense a product beyond the review-date written on the script, although the script was still within the six-month law. All pharmacies received a strongly-worded 'slap on the wrist' letter insisting that ALL scripts are valid for 6 months maximum, and a Hi-tech script must be renewed accordingly after either the review date, if appropriate, or after 6 months, despite the patient being on life-long therapy.

I have requested recently that my patients accord with this, only to have encountered a serious problem with consultants, one of whom instigated this whole scenario, refusing to provide new scripts, as they claim they don't have to, either because patients are on life-long therapy, or they have written scripts which they insist are valid for 12 months. I'm getting tired of all this, and ill-thought out mailings from the HSE are taking up far too much of my time to comply with, as clearly the complainants (consultants) have forgotten all about their initial grievance. How do you guys deal with this?

Any comments?

Fleeg

[lamzee]

If there is no review date and it says "lifelong", i would usually dispense it anyway. If it says review date in 6 months i would usually just give it until the 6 month review date, although might end up giving a 7th month if the patient's hospital appointment was after the review date.

[hibernia]

, as clearly the complainants (consultants) have forgotten all about their initial grievance. How do you guys deal with this?

Any comments?

Fleeg

They have forgotten about it for now when all is going nicely but the next time a problem comes up guess who will be in the wrong?

A prescription is only valid for 6 months, regardless of who writes it. Consultants may think they are God but the law still applies to them. Of course you are the person on the wrong side of the law. Unfortuntely it isn't illegal for a consultant to tell a patient the prescription is valid for longer but it doesn't make it the case.

The prescription can be renewed by the patient's GP, but despite supposed "shared care" arrangements most GPs won't touch them with a barge pole.

I find the specialist nurses in MS, oncology, and renal units are the best people to ask to organise a new script. The pateint often has a very good personal relationship with them and if they ask them about a new script it usually materialises.

However you do it stand your ground on this one and demand the prescription. These are very potent medicines and if something goes wrong the patient will almost certainly land back in hospital and may well die. If you don't have a valid script to cover the medicine that caused the harm don't expect the consultant to be rushing to take the responsibility.

This one isn't open to your own interpretation. The PSI have issued guidelines on dispensing hi-tech medicines, which are on their website, and if you don't follow them you will be out on your own if there is a problem.