Services Database Emergency Supply NHS Service (Western Devon Area)

The purpose of the Community Pharmacy Emergency Supply Service is to ensure that local patients and visitors to the area can access an urgent supply of their regular prescription medicines where they are unable to obtain a prescription before they need to take their next dose. The service may be needed because the patient has run out of a medicine, or because they have lost or damaged their medicines, or because they have left home without them. The aim of this service is to relieve pressure on urgent and emergency care services and general practitioner appointments at times of high demand.
In an emergency, a pharmacist can supply prescription only medicines (POMs) to a patient (who has previously been prescribed the requested POM) without a prescription at the request of the patient. This emergency supply is not an NHS service and patients may therefore be asked to pay the cost of the medicine. This can lead to some patients seeking supplies or emergency prescriptions from urgent or emergency care providers.
This service will allow the supply of a medicine at NHS expense where the pharmacist deems that the patient has immediate need for the medicine and that it is impractical to obtain a prescription without undue delay.
This service was due to finish on 31st March 2015 but it has been extended and is now commissioned until 30th September 2015.

The pharmacy contractor has a duty to ensure that pharmacists involved in the provision of the service have relevant knowledge and are appropriately trained in the operation of the service.