Title: DISPENSING OF PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS

Responsible Party: Section:

Regulatory Preference: AO 63 S. 1989 Policy no. 12
Pages: 4 Date Issued: June 22, 2018

PURPOSE

To ensure that the right medicines of desired quantity are delivered correctly to the
right patient with the right dose, strength, frequency, dosage form and quantity, together
with clear instructions, both written and verbal and with appropriate packaging suitable for
maintaining the quality and efficacy of the medicine

DEFINITION

Dispensing refers to the process of preparing and supplying medicines to a named

person together with clear instructions, advice and counselling.

PROCEDURE

I. Screening
a. On receiving a prescription, it should be screened and validated to ensure that it is the
correct patient.
b. The prescription should be written legibly/printed.
c. The prescription should have the following information.

Patient Information Prescription Details

1. Name 1. Medicine (Generic name with right dose,
2. Address frequency, administration and duration)
3. Age 2. Doctor’s name, signature, license number
4. Sex and ptr number
3. Date of prescribing

d. Names of medicines prescribed should be written in generic name and abbreviations

should not be used. Brand (trade) names should be avoided as far as possible. If a patient
must be given a particular brand, it should be indicated on the prescription.

II. Interpreting the Prescription Order

a. The pharmacy personnel who receive the prescription should check for:
• Dose, Frequency and duration

Prepared by: Noted by: Approved by:

Marissa Lorene H. King , RPh Eduardo B. Salise, MD. Edensita L. Valdez, CEO
06/22/2018 06/22/2018 06/22/2018
Name and Signature/ Date Name and Signature/Date Name and Signature/ Date
 • Drug interactions, medicine duplication, inappropriate drug therapy and
contraindications.
• Allergies
• Unusual usage and suspected drug misuse or abuse.
b. For partial medicine supply, return the prescription form to the patient showing how
many she bought and the balance she needs to buy.

III. Handling Prescriptions which Require Clarification

a. If a prescription requires further clarification is received, the prescriber must be
informed.
• If the prescriber is contacted and is on site, clarify the missing or confusing
details to him/her.
• If the prescriber is not available, she/he can be called through phone.
• The amendments to the prescription should be repeated back to the prescriber
to ensure accuracy. This should be documented on the prescription and
endorsed with “Prescriber contacted”, dated, and initialled by the pharmacy
personnel.
• If the prescriber cannot be contacted, ask the patient to return to his/her doctor
for clarification.
• Prescriber should document any changes made to the patient’s medical record.

IV. Handling Prescription in a stock-out situation

a. Stock-out is defined as a situation where the prescribed medicine is not available at
the pharmacy when a prescription is being processed. This may be due to the medicine
being temporarily out-of-stock at that time or the pharmacy does not keep stock of that
particular medicine
b. If such situation occurs:
• Inform the prescriber. If the medicine cannot be substituted with another
medicine that is available, inform the patient.
• If the patient agrees for it to be supplied at a later time, arrange to get stocks
so as to enable prompt supply the medicine to the patient.
• If the patient requires the medicine urgently, give her/him option to buy to
other pharmacies.
• If there is substitution occurred, it must be approved by the prescriber and
documented on the prescription.

V. Preparing the Medicines

A. Filling
• When selecting the medicine to be dispensed, prevent any medication errors
by establishing appropriate systems to ensure that the correct medicine is
selected, especially if there are medicines with similar names and packaging.

Prepared by: Noted by: Approved by:

Marissa Lorene H. King , RPh Eduardo B. Salise, MD. Edensita L. Valdez, CEO
06/22/2018 06/22/2018 06/22/2018
Name and Signature/ Date Name and Signature/Date Name and Signature/ Date
 Pick the medicine by reading the label at least twice and cross-checking the
medicine name and strength against the prescription.
• Check the expiry date of dispensed medicines to ensure that they remain
unexpired for the duration of the supply course.
• Medicines should be dispensed in original packaging as far as possible.
• Tablets/capsules should not be removed from the strip/blister when
dispensing.
• Medicines which need to be packed such as loose capsules/tablets should be
packed into a clean, dry container such as a bottle or plastic envelope which
will not compromise the quality of the product after dispensing.
B. Reconstitution

Definition
The process of adding the required amount of water into the powdered
medicine to be readily available for drinking by the patient.

• If the pharmacy personnel receives a prescription of a suspension, know first

the available stock of the suspension and compute how many bottles the
patient will consume throughout the treatment
• Ask the guardian if they will completely buy the needed bottles and inform
the guardian that the medicine is needed to be reconstituted.
• Give options if they want the pharmacy to reconstitute the medicine or if they
want to do it. And if all bottles will be reconstituted.
• If they decided to let the pharmacy reconstitute the drug, the pharmacy
personnel should know first the storage condition of the reconstituted drug.
• If the reconstituted drug can be put in a room, continue the reconstitution.
• If the reconstituted drug is needed in a refrigerator, inform the guardian and
give clear instructions on how to reconstitute the medicine.
• After reconstituting, write the instruction in the box on how many millimetres
will be given to the patient, frequency and duration and if it is with meal or
without meal.
• Instruct the guardian to shake the suspension well so as the medicine will be
evenly distributed.
• Remind the patient or patient guardian if the suspension is needed to be
refrigerated or not.

VI. Checking
• Double check the medicine (quantity, dosage, dosage form) against the
prescription.

Prepared by: Noted by: Approved by:

Marissa Lorene H. King , RPh Eduardo B. Salise, MD. Edensita L. Valdez, CEO
06/22/2018 06/22/2018 06/22/2018
Name and Signature/ Date Name and Signature/Date Name and Signature/ Date
 VII. Packaging
• Have the medicine in a medicine envelope with clearly filled-up medicine
envelope.
• As much as possible, have a presentable packaging before giving it to the
patient.

VIII. Recording
• If the prescription is fully served, inform the patient that the prescription will
be recorded and she/he doesn’t need any more the prescription for it is fully
served.
• Record the transaction in the prescription book.

Reference: Guide to Good Dispensing Practice 1st Edition:2016

Prepared by: Noted by: Approved by:

Marissa Lorene H. King , RPh Eduardo B. Salise, MD. Edensita L. Valdez, CEO
06/22/2018 06/22/2018 06/22/2018
Name and Signature/ Date Name and Signature/Date Name and Signature/ Date