Pharmacists in Smoking Cessation

PROFESSIONAL
POLITICS Stephen O’Byrnes
Potential of
Community
Pharmacy Services
The Minister for Health said that, in the context of the
Programme for Government, he was examining the potential
“that our contracted pharmacists deliver to public patients,
including in the areas such as vaccination, treatment of
minor ailments and supply of emergency contraception”.
Simon Harris
Fine Gael
John Brassil
Fianna Fáil
Catherine Murphy
Social Democrats
He added that the HSE
was currently assessing
the outcomes of the Minor
Ailment Scheme Pilot run
by the HSE last year in
conjunction with the IPU,
where medical card patients
were treated for minor
conditions directly by the
pharmacist. He was replying
to a Parliamentary Question
from Deputy John Brassil
(Fianna Fáil, Kerry).
Comprehensive
Regulations
governing
dispensing
of Ritalin
Deputy Catherine Murphy
(Social Democrats, Kildare
North) asked the Minister for
Health what were the rules
for prescribing and dispensing
Ritalin, including “the duration
of usual prescriptions; the
restrictions there are on
pharmacists dispensing
numbers of individual Ritalin
doses; and if this varies by
region in respect of dispensing
or prescribing”.
The Minister for Health,
Deputy Simon Harris, said
that Ritalin (methylphenidate)
was indicated as part of a
comprehensive treatment
programme for attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD) in children aged six
years and over, when remedial
measures alone prove
insufficient, and treatment
must be under the supervision
of a specialist in childhood
and/or adolescent behavioural
disorders.
“Under the Misuse of
Drugs Act 1977, as amended,
methylphenidate is a Schedule
2 controlled drug and as such
can only be supplied on foot of
an original valid prescription,
which must be physically
presented to, and reviewed
by, the pharmacist prior to
dispensing to the patient. The
prescription must be signed
and dated by the prescriber.
The prescriber must be a
registered practitioner with an
address within the State.
“The prescription must
specify, in the prescriber’s
own handwriting: full name
and address of the person
for whom the prescription is
issued; form and strength,
where appropriate, of the
preparation; amount/total
quantity prescribed in words
and figures and the dose to
be taken. Methylphenidate
prescriptions must also
contain the name, address and
telephone of the practitioner
and detail the type of
practitioner.
“A prescription for a
methylphenidate is valid for
14 days from the date of issue
indicated on the prescription.
Repeat prescriptions are
not permitted. However,
prescriptions may be
prescribed and dispensed in
instalments, if the practitioner
specifies the amount of the
instalment and the intervals
at which the instalments
are to be dispensed. The first
instalment must be dispensed
within 14 days and no
instalment may be supplied
later than two months after
the date specified on the
prescription. A pharmacist
supplying a controlled drug
must be satisfied as to the
identity of the patient and the
signature of the practitioner.
Dispensed medication may
only be supplied to the
patient or to a bona fide
representative of the patient.”
The Minister added that all
prescriptions for Ritalin were
required to comply with these
legislative requirements.
54
IPUREVIEW FEBRUARY 2017