Open AccessWhat to do when presented with a prescription from another E uropean country: insight from a qualitative study of pharmacists in E ngland
Author(s) -
Knai Cécile,
Saliba Vanessa,
Davies James,
McKee Martin,
Khoshaba Bernadette,
Lago Eleonora,
San Miguel Lorena
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
international journal of pharmacy practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.42
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 2042-7174
pISSN - 0961-7671
DOI - 10.1111/ijpp.12050
Subject(s) - medical prescription , medicine , pharmacy , family medicine , european union , nursing , public relations , political science , business , economic policy
Abstract Objectives Prescriptions for medicines issued by healthcare professionals in other parts of the E uropean U nion are legally valid in the UK . However, it is not known whether this is fully understood by B ritish community pharmacists. In this study we aimed to understand the implementation of UK pharmacy policy on dispensing prescriptions from other parts of the E uropean U nion and to investigate pharmacists' knowledge and interpretation of the relevant provisions in a mystery shopping exercise in E nglish pharmacies. Methods We reviewed the policy literature on regulations and practices pertaining to the prescribing and dispensation of prescription‐only medicines in the UK . We interviewed key English informants in pharmacy. We then conducted a ‘mystery shopping’ exercise in 60 randomly selected pharmacies in urban, peri‐urban and rural areas of E ngland to investigate how community pharmacists manage four different types of prescriptions from another EU country. Key findings From the eight interviews conducted there was broad consensus that existing processes for verifying the authenticity of foreign prescriptions could be improved. Of the 60 pharmacies visited, only 27% (16 out of 60) were willing to dispense the medication. Pharmacists unwilling to dispense were invited to explain their reasons for refusal. The most common were that they believed that E nglish pharmacists are unauthorised to dispense foreign prescriptions, and that prescriptions must be in the E nglish language or issued by a UK ‐recognised prescriber. Conclusion Existing processes available to E nglish pharmacists for verifying the authenticity of foreign prescriptions seem to be insufficient. Strategies to overcome these problems were proposed by pharmacists and key informants, and include the creation of a database or registry of all authorised E uropean E conomic A rea/Swiss prescribers, development of EU standards on prescription content and on dosage of medications, consistent international non‐proprietary name (INN) prescribing and the use of an agreed common language for key information on prescriptions.