Good Dispensing Practice

Good Dispensing Practice

• It ensures that the right medicines of desired quality are delivered correctly to the right patient.
• Ensures medicines have the right dose, strength, frequency, dosage form, and quantity.
• Medicines administered with clear instructions, both written and verbal.
• Appropriate packaging should be used to maintain the quality and efficacy of the medicine

Key Elements of Good Dispensing Practice

• Accurate prescription handling is a key element.
• Proper medication Handling and Storage.
• Requires Packaging and Labeling.
• Record Keeping is important.
• Providing Counseling or Giving Information.

Factors Affecting Good Dispensing Practice

• Personnel must be trained and equipped with appropriate technical knowledge and skills.
• Compounding and dispensing should be done only by duly registered and licensed pharmacists, as per R.A 10918 Section 30.
• Requires compliance with Good Manufacturing Practice, laboratory practice, Philippine Practice Standards for Pharmacists and dispensing guidelines.

Roles of a Pharmacist

• Dispense prescriptions
• Counsel patients
• Communicate with prescribers
• Ensure patients' safety
• Educate health provider colleagues
• Manage staff

Roles of a Pharmacy Assistant

• Prescription Preparation
• Patient Care
• Inventory Management
• Administrative Support

Premises

• Appropriate physical surroundings enhance dispensing.
• Adequate shelving and storage areas promote organization
• Proper work surfaces facilitate accuracy.

Advantages of a Good Dispensing Environment

• Reduces dispensing errors.
• Reduces fatigue among pharmacists.
• Enhances services provided.
• Improves the image of a pharmacy.
• Increases clients which impacts profitability.
• Increases speed in delivery of services.
• Creates a professional image.

Equipment and Packaging Materials

• Tablet Counter – for loose tablets.
• Graduated Cylinder to measure fluids accurately.
• Spatula for mixing and transferring compounds.
• Scissors.
• Containers to hold medication.
• Red and White Labels aid in identification and warnings.
• Rubber Stamp to mark items.

Dispensing Cycle Steps

• Receive and validate the prescription
• Understand and interpret the prescription
• Prepare and label items for issue
• Make a final check
• Record action taken
• Issue medicine to patient with clear instructions and advice

Dispensing Cycle Step 1: Receive and Validate the Prescription

• Confirm the name of the patient.
• Cross-check the name and identity of the patient.

Prescription Definition

• An order for medication issued by a physician, dentist, veterinarian or other properly licensed medical practitioner.
• Designates a specific medication and dosage to be administered to a particular patient at a specific time.

Common parts of a Prescription

• Prescriber information like name, contact details, license number.
• Patient information like name, age, address.
• Date of prescription.
• Rx symbol or Superscription.
• Medication Prescribed or Inscription.
• Dispensing Directions to Pharmacist or Subscription.
• Directions for the Patient or Signa.
• Special instructions, refill, Special Labeling or Other Instructions.

Parts of Prescription: Prescribers Information

• It includes the name of the doctor or office, address with phone number and e-mail.
• Prescription number is required when calling the pharmacy for a refill.

Parts of Prescription: Patient Information

• It includes Name, age, weight, gender, and address.

Parts of Prescription: Date of Prescription

• Indicates Time the prescription is written.
• A lapse of time more than a couple of days between the prescription was written and the date it was brought to the pharmacy may be questioned.
• Pharmacist may need to determine if the intention of the physician and the needs of the patient can still be met.

Parts of Prescription: Rx Symbol or Superscription

• Translates to "take thou" or "you take".

Parts of Prescription: Medication Prescribed or Inscription

• Indicates body or principal part of the prescription.
• States the name and quantity of the prescribed drug.

Parts of Prescription: Dispensing Directions to Pharmacist or Subscription

• Contains directions for the pharmacist for preparing the prescription.

Parts of Prescription: Directions for the Patient or Signa

• Includes directions for the patient's use of the medication, as indicated by the prescriber.

Parts of Prescription: Special Instructions, Refill, Special Labeling or Other Instructions

• Indicates the number of authorized refills in the prescription by its prescriber.
• If no refill information is provided, it is understood that no refills have been authorized.

Classifications of Drugs: Prescription or Ethical Drugs

• These drugs can only be dispensed upon a written order of a validly-registered physician, dentist or veterinarian.

Classifications of Drugs: Non-prescription or Over-the-Counter (OTC) Drugs

• These are purchased without a prescription.

Dispensing Cycle Step 2: Understand and interpret the prescription

• Read the prescription.
• Correctly interpret any abbreviations used by the prescriber.
• Confirm that the doses prescribed are in the normal range for the patient.
• Correctly perform any calculations of dose and issue quantity.
• Identify any common drug-drug interactions.

Dispensing Cycle Step 3: Prepare and label items for issue

• Select stock container or pre-pack.
• Measure or count quantity from stock containers.
• Counting should be done using a clean piece of paper and clean knife or spatula.
• Can also count by using a clean tablet-counting device or lid of the stock container in use
• Can also use any other clean, dust-free surface.
• Pack and label medicine in a clean, dry container, such as a bottle, plastic envelope, cardboard box, or paper envelope.

Dispensing Cycle Step 4: Make a Final Check

Dispensing Cycle Step 5: Record Action Taken

• Prescription is retained.
• Alternatively prescription may be returned to the patient.
• Prescriptions are recorded to computers for record keeping

Dispensing Cycle Step 6: Issue medicine to the patient with clear instructions and advice

• When to take the medicine.
• How to take the medicine.
• How to store the medicine.

Reminder on Patient Interactions

• Every patient must be treated with respect.
• Confidentiality and privacy must be maintained when explaining the use of some types of medicine must be recognized.
• Efforts should be made to structure medicine collection so that advice to patients can be as individual as possible.

Promoting Efficient Management in Dispensing

• Requiring that all staff work in accordance with written SOPs.
• Maintaining records on what medicines and products have been issued.
• Scheduling worker shifts to make best use of staff.
• Involving the pharmacy staff in hospital/DS committees.

Factors that influence dispenser behavior

• Training and knowledge.
• Compensation.
• Incentives.
• Supply.
• Available product information.
• Availability of dispensing equipment.
• Social status of the dispenser.
• Dispenser-prescriber relationship.
• Lack of communication skills.

Key Takeaways

• Purchase medication only from FDA licensed retail drug outlet.
• The Pharmacist is the one who is responsible in validating the prescription and dispensing the prescribed medication.
• It is important that the personnel involved in the retail drug outlet is properly trained.
• Patients should receive the appropriate medicine, in the proper dose, for an adequate period of time, and at the lowest cost to them and their community.