The National Health Service (Personal Dental Services Agreements) Regulations 2005

PART 3 SUPPLY OF DRUGS AND PRESCRIBING

General

18.  The contractor shall ensure that any prescription form for listed drugs, medicines or appliances issued by a prescriber complies as appropriate with the requirements in this Part.

Supply of drugs

19.—(1) A presciber may supply to a patient such listed drugs, medicines or appliances as are required for immediate use before the issue of a prescription for such drugs, medicines or appliances in accordance with paragraph 20.

(2) A prescriber may personally administer to a patient any drug or medicine required for the treatment of that patient.

Issue of prescription forms

20.—(1) A prescriber shall order listed drugs, medicines or appliances (other than those supplied under paragraph 19) as are needed for the treatment of any patient to whom it is providing services under the agreement by issuing to the patient a prescription form.

(2) The prescription form shall—

(a) be signed by the prescriber; and

(b) be issued separately to each patient to whom the contractor is providing services under the agreement,

and a separate prescription form shall be issued for each patient.

(3) For the purposes of this paragraph, “prescription form” means a form that—

(a) is supplied for the purposes of paragraph (1) by the Primary Care Trust; or

(b) in the case where the contractor is a Primary Care Trust, is supplied by that Primary Care Trust to other contractors for the purposes of paragraph (1).

Excessive prescribing

21.  The contractor shall not prescribe drugs, medicines or appliances whose cost or quantity, in relation to any patient, is, by reason of the character of the drug, medicine or appliance in question, in excess of that which was reasonably necessary for the proper treatment of that patient.