Legality of this prescription

[pharmasaurus]

I'm currently studying pharmacy and in second year at uni. We had a dispensing exam recently and I know I have made a mistake but I'm not sure how significant it is. Basically it was a an NHS CD schedule 2 drug. It was missing the form (tablet) so I put my hand up and got the "prescriber" to amend the prescription. So she changed it to include the word "tablet" and that was that. Now when I got to the endorsement box on the write hand side I done the usual, pack size , quantity , endorsed in CD..... but.... I made a moment of madness error and put in Prescriber contacted (PC) when I shouldnt have. Like as you all will know you can't PC a CD yourself..... and I knew that , hence the reason I put my hand up. I don't know why I put PC , I just wasn't thinking. Do you think this would make the prescription void? like in your opinions d you think it's failable.The criteria for failing tends to be.... if we do anything illegal , or harm the patient.

[Defblade]

So long as the "prescriber" initialled the change, no problem with legality. PC endorsment is unnecessary/wrong and would simply be ignored by PPD; whether it will lose you marks, or fail you, I've no idea!

[pharmasaurus]

Well she put in tablets and then done "cc" just under it. Thats not her initials but maybe it stands for something along those lines? maybe shes pretending to be a random prescriber called "cc". Hopefully, its just they are very picky and I'm trying to build up a case to defend myself incase I need it lol. Well basically as I said before , automatic fail for anything Illegal and anything that harms the patient. Everything else wrong is considered when making a final decision on the pass/fail. No grades its simply Pass/fail. They said the wee things all add up but one or two shouldnt be a problem and it depends on the severity. Well at least its not Illegal full stop then. If only I knew what "cc" meant underneath it.... hmmm

Thanks for the reply btw

[johnep]

Used to mean carbon copy. these days just means copy to. On every email form.
johnep

[Fleegle]

Ok. If the Rx had the dosage form omitted, which technically makes it an illegally issued prescription in the first place, as a pharmacist, you are obliged to 'contact the prescriber' to have it amended in order that it may be legally dispensed, which you quite rightly did. Your 'PC' endorsement in my view only proves you spotted the prescribing error, and had the 'prescriber' make the necessary amendment, which they would appear to have attempted to do.

Nothing to worry about from your point of view. However, the 'prescriber' should have added the dosage form and initialled the change. The 'CC' as you say could be random prescriber initials. Alternatively I suppose it could be the latin abbreviation for 'with food'. If that is the case, the 'prescriber endorsement' is wrong as they did not initial the change, and I would certainly advise the lecturer in question to stop playing doctors until he/she had a firmer grasp of the importance of exam adjudication with particular reference to prescribing of controlled drugs.

Purely my opinion..

Fleeg.

[pharmasaurus]

Hmm thats makes me feel a little bit better. I also think that would be the fair way of thinking about it but although I did PC it.... I didn't really PC anything that I shouldn't have. It was an endorsment error that doesent effect the prescription at all really. Well except making it a bit wrong. I looked up the drug again Dexamfetamine to see whether the with food explanation could be resolved but as far as I can see from my BNF and the internet nobody mentions taking it with food at all. Anybody think that it should be "with food" because if thats the case then I didn't label it with that. I asked a lecturer on my course today and she didn't give much away at all. Just that it gets marked in uni and then sent to an independant marker for checking.... her eyes didn't give much comfort with I explained what I done...... this is horrible I can't stop thinking about it. =/

Thanks for all the replies people =)

[hibernia]

...... this is horrible I can't stop thinking about it. =/

Well you just have to.
This may sound harsh but if you get worried about every possible mistake in every exam you will never get your degree and you certainly won't be able to practice pharmacy if you don't get a sense of prespective.
What is the worst thing that can happen? You fail and may have to sit it again. Big deal. Many excellent pharmacists had to re-sit exams or even re-do a full year.
The man who never made a mistake never made anything. None of us is perfect and nobody, except yourself, expects you to be. Let it be. Go out and do whatever it is you do to relax over the weekend.

If you really find this playing on your mind and you can't forget about it then get help - not with your knowledge of MDA regs but with your whole approach to the course. Don't wait until you get so down about it that you can't face taking action.

[johnep]

Dexamphetamine originally marketed as slimming aid to depress appetite, so unlikely to be taken with food.
johnep

[Defblade]

CD regs now don't specify that alterations/additions have to be done by the original prescriber anymore.... Home Office was queried on this and replied that the intent of the regulations was that the original prescriber did it, but with what's written, anyone can.

=> "CC" doesn't matter as anybody could have done it. Read up on the Regs and be prepared to argue your corner!! Pretend you knew all this all along