News

Pharmacy Board Updates Guidelines - 2015

The Pharmacy Board of Australia yesterday released revised guidelines for pharmacists on a range of issues, with the updated documents taking effect on 07 December 2015.

Developed after wide-ranging consultation, key changes include the removal of the former section dealing with extemporaneous dispensing which has now been published separately as Guidelines on compounding of medicines, while the guidelines also add new information on dose administration aids, the treatment of electronic data and the provision of complementary and alternative medicines.  Pharmacy Board chair William Kelly urged pharmacists to read the new documents.  Click on each new document below to view.

Guidelines for dispensing of medicines
Guidelines on practice-specific issues
Guidelines on dose administration aids and staged supply of dispensed medicines; and
Guidelines for proprietor pharmacists

Kelly said pharmacists are expected to review the new guidelines and familiarise themselves with all changes to ensure they comply in their practice from 07 Dec.  Titles of guidelines have been renamed to better reflect their content, while the documents have also been restructured to make them easier to read. 

Other key changes in the dispensing guideline include a new section on protection of electronic data, which addresses the specific risks to pharmacists’ electronically stored data, as well as further guidance on the use of scanners when dispensing medicines in Guideline 10.1 Scanners.

The practice-specific issues guideline updates pharmacists on provision of complementary and alternative medicines, including guidance that only products of proven safety and quality should be offered and patients should be provided “relevant accompanying advice” to help them make an informed choice, and where appropriate pharmacists should record the supply.

Additional guidance is provided regarding dose administration aids, covering labelling, packing of DAAs by a third party and supply of oral cytotoxic and other hazardous medicines in DAAs. 

There’s also guidance about the initiation of periodic administration of a dispensed medicine.  The updated guidelines for proprietor pharmacists reflect current legislative requirements in regard to registration, with a fact sheet detailing what’s needed in each jurisdiction. 

There’s also additional guidance on the responsibilities of proprietor pharmacists, including those relating to advertising, and facilitation of employee pharmacists to meet the Board’s registration standards.

Go to pharmacyboard.gov.au to see full details.

Source:pharmacydaily.com.au, Thursday 3 September 2015