Prescription sorting

Ignoring this will cost the practice dearly!

From October 1st, 2000:

dispensing practices must keep prescription charges
the PPA will calculate and deduct the correct amount according to the prescription endorsements
prescriptions must be sorted into exempt and non-exempt
exempt should be sub-sorted into a) exempt b) remote delivery where status is not known c) contraceptive items d) personally administered items, SFA para 44.5
non-exempt should include forms where at least one item is non-exempt.

IF A BATCH IS RECEIVED UNSORTED IT WILL BE RETURNED TO BE SORTED AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, THERE WILL BE NO PAYMENT UNTIL IT IS SORTED

The above applies to items submitted to the PPA from November 1st.

PPA Concessions
For prescription batches submitted for the months of October to December, inclusive only, the PPA will operate a "switching" procedure where forms have been wrongly sorted. They will show on the payment schedule why the scrips have been switched.

From the January submissions onwards the PPA will assume that practices know the system and any wrongly sorted or improperly endorsed item will be transferred to the "paid for, non-exempt" status whether or not the practice has actually received a prescription charge from the patient.

In other words, the practice will lose £6 per item for each wrongly sorted or wrongly endorsed prescription.

Temporary age printed concession
For 12 months from the November 2000 batch there will be a concession where the computer printed age of the patient on the form is not confirmed to be correct and endorsed by the patient.

Prescriptions submitted in the exempt group where the computer date of birth shows the patient to be either under 16 or over 60 but unendorsed on the back by the patient, which should according to the regulations be switched to the non-exempt, paid for, group will not be switched. This concession will be for 12 months only.

Practices MUST, nevertheless always obtain an endorsement whether the date of birth is computer-printed or not.

In other words, after 12 months, the computer printed date will cease to be acceptable and every item on the script will cost the practice £6.

SUMMARY of acceptable declarations of exemption

An exempt patient or representative must complete parts 1 and 3 on the reverse of the prescription form
A chargeable patient or representative must complete parts 2 and 3
If the form contains only SFA 44.5 items (personal administrations), the reverse need not be completed.

SUMMARY of unacceptable exempt prescription forms

Completely blank reverses
Part 1 completed but Part 3 left blank
Part 1 completed, Part 3 completed only with Practice Stamp

REMOTE DELIVERY
These may be included in the exempt group where the prescription is endorsed "Remote delivery" and signed by the doctor in Part 3.

CHARGES TO LEVY
Guidance is always shown in the Drug Tariff Part XVI. Key points are:

Exempt contraceptive drugs are listed in the Tariff. The exception is Dianette which must be endorsed as such if it is issued for contraception.
Different strengths of the same drug attract only one charge
Hosiery: one piece, one charge. Therefore a pair of stockings attracts 2 charges and 2 pairs attracts 4 charges.
Combination pack charges are listed in Section 10.5

IT WILL COST YOU A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY - IF YOU DON'T GET IT RIGHT EVERY TIME

After writing this I was given a batch of prescriptions to sign so I was motivated to do a quick audit on what is going on in my own dispensary. Now, truth be said, we are going through a hard time as we are waiting to appoint a new dispenser and we presently have "fill-in" staff. (If you know of a dispenser who is looking for a job - please tell me through Feedback)

However, I separated the "exempt" into properly endorsed and improperly recognising that in 3 months the wrongly or unendorsed will be transferred to the "paid" group and charged at a current £6 per item. The improperly endorsed all had the same fault. They were signed but no boxes were crossed.

Those prescriptions added up to 185 items. Multiply by £6 and the total is an amazing £1,110 for slightly over 1 week's prescriptions. A quick estimate could make that £3,000 lost to the practice in one month when the new system kicks in in three months time. There are two of us and it is reasonable to assume a similar figure for my partner, so in one year if we carried on in the same sloppy way we would be £72,000 down in prescription charges.

Patients either refuse to read the form and just scribble a signature or "don't have me glasses"; "don't know"; "it's on yer computer".

The staff have been told to endorse the "pharmacy only" roundel on the back where evidence of exemption is not produced. Alternatively, no cross, no prescription.

Remember, the money is deducted at source and no mistakes are allowed

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