A selection of recent questions answered for members by the NPA’s Pharmacy Services Team

Q A patient was issued an FP10 paper prescription whilst they were 59 years of age but they do not come in to pay for it until they are 60 years of age. Do they have to pay for the prescription?

A No. The patient does not have to pay the prescription charge because age related prescription exemption is based on the age of the patient on the day they are asked to pay. Therefore the patient is exempt from paying a prescription charge because they are over the age of 60 years when they present the prescription at the pharmacy for payment.

To avoid the prescription being switched to a ‘paid’ prescription, the patient will need to sign the back of the prescription form to declare that they are over the age of 60 years of age when they are asked to sign the declaration. This is because the age of the patient shown at the front of the prescription will indicate that they are still 59 years of age.

For Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) prescriptions, there may be a requirement to override the exemption category suggested by the system if the date that the Dispense Notification is sent is different to the date that the patient is asked to pay for their prescription. The patient medication record can be used to check the paid/exemption category that has been applied to an electronic prescription.

 

Q Can a community practitioner nurse prescriber prescribe items listed in the Borderline Substances section of the relevant Drug Tariff on an NHS prescription?

A No. Community practitioner nurse prescribers cannot prescribe items approved by the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances as listed in Part XV of the England and Wales Drug Tariff and Part X of the Northern Ireland Drug Tariff on an NHS prescription unless the item appears in the Nurse Prescribers’ Formulary. Part 1 of the Scottish Drug Tariff refers pharmacy contractors to follow Part XV of the England and Wales Drug Tariff.

 

Q Has Eppinix XL tablets undergone a name change to Ipinnia XL tablets?

A Yes. Eppinix XL tablets has undergone a name change to Ipinnia XL tablets. The manufacturer, Ethypharm UK Ltd, has confirmed that there has been no change to the product other than the name and that it is available with the same product licence numbers, PIP codes and strengths (2mg, 3mg, 4mg 6mg and 8mg). Furthermore, the manufacturer has been renamed from DB Ashbourne to Ethypharm, therefore, Ipinnia XL tablets will show the Ethypharm company logo on the packaging. Stock availability information is available from npa.co.uk.

FAQ information is correct at the time of publishing on the NPA website.