Handwriting prescription labels. Is it allowed?

[aligib]

Hi all, this is my first post! I'm just about to finish my NVQ3 and am doing my Preparation for Registration Workbook. I need to find out if it is allowed to handwrite prescription labels if for instance the label printer was broken. I have read that the Rpsgb specify labels must be printed but then the locum pharmacist I was working with said that in certain circumstances you can handwrite labels. HELP i am confused. Who is right.

Any guidance on this would be very gratefully received.

Aligib

[DavidS]

Hi all, this is my first post!

The key here, IMO, is to remember that the needs of the patient are paramount. If the labeller is broken, then you would handwrite the labels, so that the medication could be given to the patient with reasonable promptness. That would be more important than asking the patient to call back in four or five hours so that it might be fixed.

On the other hand, if it was a repeat script, you might prefer to offer to deliver it later, or the next day, when the labeller had been fixed.

Either way, its the pharmacist's responsibility to ensure that the patient has the information required to use the medication correctly.


PS Welcome to the forum!

[bobbin]

The key here, IMO, is to remember that the needs of the patient are paramount. If the labeller is broken, then you would handwrite the labels, so that the medication could be given to the patient with reasonable promptness. That would be more important than asking the patient to call back in four or five hours so that it might be fixed.

On the other hand, if it was a repeat script, you might prefer to offer to deliver it later, or the next day, when the labeller had been fixed.

Either way, its the pharmacist's responsibility to ensure that the patient has the information required to use the medication correctly.


PS Welcome to the forum!

I agree with DavidS.

The RPSGB don't seem to live in the real world so you will have to use your common sense in many circumstances.

[howe928]

imagined what you would do if you got power cut for a few hours and patients need e.g. antibiotics, as long as it written in indelible ink (throw the pencil away), if you got a non-electric typing machine you can use that too, old technology comes in handy

[bobbin]

If it was busy you would have to send some patients to a nearby pharmacy, if available.

[Defblade]

Code of Ethics (used to?) says every dispensary must have mechanical means to produce labels in the event of a power failure. This rarely happens now (and would the thermal labels even feed or take the ink?) so the answer that's right by the book is no, don't hand write; the answer that's practical is go right ahead. But watch the thermal labels - ball point smudges horribly!

[Rafael]

just reading my company SOP, as i did not have anytime to read it on my own time. Yes you are allowed, and you are covered by the SOP.
however, as mentioned earlier, would be better to ask patients to CB, and only do that for walk-in scripts. saves you time and problem would be sorted by the end of the day anyway. just ring the IT department and they will send someone to fix it up. consider borrowing another printer from a nearby branch if they have got an extra one.

[jaymags]

Borrowing a printer is easier said than done if your pharmacy happens to be an independant. Keeping a spare does spring to mind though.
Power cuts may be far and few between but we have had a few over the years.
IMHO, if you need to get labels done by hand then just make sure the instructions can be read by the patients, some pharmacists hand writing can be just as bad as doctors. Crikey, I feel another SOP coming on at my place, I don't think we have one for that.

[Defblade]

just reading my company SOP, as i did not have anytime to read it on my own time. Yes you are allowed, and you are covered by the SOP.

So, the SOP goes against the best practice, and has no effect other than putting the pharmacist in the firing line if there's a complaint ('cos we should follow best practice and over-rule the SOPs where necessary, at the same time as we always follow the SOPs....) and save the compnay the cost of a typewriter per branch. Would you consider asking the SI to justify the SOP?

[Rafael]

So, the SOP goes against the best practice, and has no effect other than putting the pharmacist in the firing line if there's a complaint ('cos we should follow best practice and over-rule the SOPs where necessary, at the same time as we always follow the SOPs....) and save the compnay the cost of a typewriter per branch. Would you consider asking the SI to justify the SOP?

well you did not ask for the full content; this section was under ' endorsement/label printer failure' or something like that. it is advisable to not hand write labels, however what would you do if the system fails and you have a walk in script?
according to the SOP, you are allowed to hand write the label in this case, which is the best practice to deal with the problem, unless patients agree to call back.