Lloyds Pharmacy print the prescriptions/money as they like

[trulylastniceguy]

We were told that the Lloyds pharmacy near us started printing repeat prescriptions for the surgery within the same health centre and take them to doctors signing them! Surely, they know there are breach of law here:

1) Confidentiality, if they print the prescriptions upon request by patients who use them, then I think it is ok? But what about the patients that don't use their service? Lloyds pharmacy can access the data that they should not read? Is this criminal offence?
2) This is a form of incentive to the surgery, so the surgery can save employing extra staff to work on the computer?
3) In this way, lloyds pharmacy will have the power to get the prescriptions by default. ie, the patients do not really have a choice.

How come this kind of practice is allowed? I feel like I want to "give up"

[Pharmanaut]

We were told that the Lloyds pharmacy near us started printing repeat prescriptions for the surgery within the same health centre and take them to doctors signing them! Surely, they know there are breach of law here:

1) Confidentiality, if they print the prescriptions upon request by patients who use them, then I think it is ok? But what about the patients that don't use their service? Lloyds pharmacy can access the data that they should not read? Is this criminal offence?
2) This is a form of incentive to the surgery, so the surgery can save employing extra staff to work on the computer?
3) In this way, lloyds pharmacy will have the power to get the prescriptions by default. ie, the patients do not really have a choice.

How come this kind of practice is allowed? I feel like I want to "give up"

Are you sure that the pharmacy is actually printing FP10 forms and the doctor is signing them?
Or are they using the RA/RD repeat dispensing forms?
Or are they printing out repeat requests on some kind of Lloyds form for the doctor to print FP10s?
Or are they using the right hand side of the script form (the tear off bit) to manage repeat requests?

As far as I'm aware printing prescriptions for the doctor to sign is not in the NHS terms of service.

[trulylastniceguy]

So far my staff has asked the receptionists to confirm. They confirmed the Lloyds are printing the green rx. We are going to see the practice manager asap to find out. But the PSNC said they have heard of it before. How comes the PSNC is not stopping this kind of practice? Surely, at some times they will handle other people's Rx!

[lamzee]

Is it worth contacting the local RPSGB inspector or RPSGB law dept? Any inspectors read this website?

[Pharmanaut]

Is it worth contacting the local RPSGB inspector or RPSGB law dept? Any inspectors read this website?

Get in there and sort it out if you are!

[PinkGlitter]

Script directing seems to be getting worse and worse lately, especially if there is an on-site pharmacy. One of my regular dosette patients script went walkies and then found out on the day it was due to be delivered that it had accidentally been sent to alliance. They had already dispensed it and the surgery spoke to the patient and they are ok with it going from there from now on. So basically I have lost a patient- 40 regular items a month due to the surgery forwarding it to the wrong pharmacy. I can't complain to pct as they have talked the patient round! Can't win!

[Jeff]

Sounds like a good working model to me.

One that pharmacists should try to achieve rather than knock.

Jeff

[Fleegle]

You're absolutely right there Jeff.

This type of thing has been happening, albeit clandestinely, for years. I have one quick question...Who is "nicking" from whom, most of the time? Multiple from Independent or vice-versa?...It works both ways.

[DavidS]

So basically I have lost a patient- 40 regular items a month due to the surgery forwarding it to the wrong pharmacy. I can't complain to pct as they have talked the patient round! Can't win!

That averages out at something like £4000 a year off your turnover, altough the profit on MDS's is not good. I would be fighting a bit harder about that, if it was my business.

[Jeff]

That averages out at something like £4000 a year off your turnover, altough the profit on MDS's is not good. I would be fighting a bit harder about that, if it was my business.

By crying foul or by attempting to have a better relationship with the surgery?

Jeff