This section describes the navigation menus and options available to you while dispensing. Choose the script type in the topics below to go to a particular form of dispensing or continue on this page to get familiar with the Dispense Screen.
- Original Scripts – provides quick steps and includes a detailed process flow to dispense a script.
- Repeat Scripts – describes outside repeats and multiple ways to dispense own repeats.
- Owing Scripts – describes how to dispense and reconcile or mark-off owing scripts.
- Deferred Scripts – describes deferring a new script and filling a previously deferred script.
- Other Forms of Dispensing – provides a brief summary of the various forms of dispensing, such as – PBS, Private, PBS Private, RPBS, Prescriber Bag, S3 Recordable, Other Recordable Supply (Non-prescription and Emergency Supplies) and Continued Dispensing.
TIP
Before you begin dispensing, we recommend that you go over the Getting Started area, to understand the keyboard shortcuts, navigation menus, controls and field behaviour; to improve your experience of using the product.
The Dispense Screen includes the following fields, click on each field to find out more information:
Patient
Use this field to enter the name of the patient, alternatively, use Alt+P to access the Patient dialogue. On typing in a patient’s name, results matching your search are displayed with the following information:
Title: Title of the patient, such as Mr, Mrs, M/s, Dr, etc.
Name: Given name of the patient
Surname: Surname or family name of the patient
Address: Mailing address of the patient
Entitlement #: The patient’s main entitlement number, with an indicator if there are others
Medicare #: The patient’s Medicare number
Scroll through the list to select the required patient.
On selecting the name, the patient’s address is displayed right below the patient’s name, for easy reference. You can refer to the address to reconfirm if the patient selected is the right one.
TIP
You can highlight, deactivate and edit patients directly from the patient list. When the list is dropped down, press F2 or right-click on a record to display the Actions menu, then choose the required action. Highlight frequently used patients so they stand out in lists. You can do this yourself, or the Best Patients report can do it for you.
You can also filter the patient list so that only patients in a particular medical institution are displayed.
If the patient search does not display the required result, select Add New and proceed with adding the new patient’s records.
For more information see Selecting a Patient.
Date Prescribed
The Date Prescribed is set to the current date by default; use the date picker to enter the prescription date of the script, you do not need to type the date separators. Use the down arrow to select the date from the calendar.
The script date defaults to the current date when dispensing to a newly selected patient, or to the previously used date if you have just dispensed to the patient.
You can use the back and forward arrow keys beside the month and year to select the date. However, note that the system will not allow you to set a future date. If you are entering the date manually you can choose to use either numbers or characters to make your entry.
If the script is an Owing Script, it will not show a date of prescribing. Enter the letter O to indicate an Owing script. Clearing the text in the date control will also accomplish the same thing.
For more information see Date Prescribed.
CTG
The CTG field is active and its value is displayed only when the patient is registered for CTG. If not, the field appears inactive.
The CTG number is an alphanumeric value of six character length which is in the following format: CTGnna, where CTG is a fixed/static prefix, nn is a two digit number, and a is an alphabetic check character determined by the numeric part and the date of prescribing.
H indicates a handwritten CTG prescription for which the CTG number is recorded as CTG00B by default.
Item Type
The Item Type menu will default to what has been previously set for the patient. The list of items available in this menu varies depending on the selected patient.
For more information see Item Type.
Prescriber
The Prescriber field displays the previously set prescriber or Prescriber for the patient. This field is disabled if the Item Type is set to S3 Recordable Supply or Continued Dispensing or if the patient is deactivated.
For more information see Prescriber.
Item Prescribed
The Item Prescribed field is where you would enter the name of the drug as prescribed on the script. The search results display all details relevant to the drug, such as the available brands, strength, form, and price. You will need to look up the brand, name, chemical composition and dosage from the script before making your selection.
The drug search results can appear as either grouped or ungrouped. You can choose to set your system to view drugs in the manner of your choosing.
For more information see Item Prescribed.
Brand Sub
Brand substitutions are made by pharmacists in circumstances when the drug is not disallowed by the prescriber, a bio-equivalent brand of the same or different item is available, and the patient agrees to use the drug without reference back to the prescriber.
The Brand Sub field displays ‘Y’, if brand substitution is permitted for the patient, if not, the field will display ‘N’. The field is disabled if the selected patient is inactive or if brand substitution does not apply (under certain conditions).
Some of the “PBS Guidelines for Brand Substitutions” from the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia include;
Dispensers should be trained to assist the pharmacist in informing and educating consumers about brand substitution choices.
Pharmacists should have systems in place to ensure that all patients (or their carers) have the opportunity to request a generic equivalent before dispensing occurs and that they have access to relevant information about generic medicines and/or brand substitution.
Brand substitution may only occur after consultation with and agreement of the patient (or the carer), and if the prescriber has not indicated on the prescription, “no substitution”, or equivalent.
Where substitution is allowed and the patient is offered or enquires about alternate brands, the pharmacist and the patient should discuss the safety and suitability of alternate brands for that patient.
The patient’s health should always be the pharmacist’s prime consideration in any brand substitution decision. Decisions to substitute one brand for another should not place patients at risk. To continue reading, click here.
Item Dispensed
Use this field to enter the name of the drug to be dispensed; if the drug being dispensed is of a different brand from what is prescribed, ensure required conditions for dispensing the drug are met.
For more information see Item Dispensed.
Authority #
The Authority # field is active if the drug requires an authority number SLA – Auth Approv #. The authority number is a numerical value of up to eight digits in length.
If the prescribing conditions indicate a regular (non streamlined) authority item or an authority number is otherwise entered (e.g. for an increased quantity or number of repeats), the drop down list will contain one of the following:
Blank. This is the default entry and implies that nothing has been selected.
E (Emergency Provision). Used only when the prescriber is unable to obtain telephone / online authority for the prescription at the time they wrote it and therefore endorsed the prescription accordingly.
If you select a PBS or RPBS authority item without entering an authority number beforehand, a pop-up indicates the authority requirement and enables you to enter the authority number at that point.
SLA – Auth Approv #
The SLA / Auth Approv # menu becomes active only when an authority number is entered in the Authority# field. You can choose a suitable entry from the drop-down list for streamlined authority items. The items in this list vary depending on the prescribing conditions in effect and the script details entered. Free text entry is not permitted, but if you enter a value, the list will position to the first matching item.
If the prescribing conditions indicate a streamlined authority item, the drop down list will contain one of the following:
Blank. This is the default entry and implies that nothing has been selected.
N (Not Used). For items being dispensed in a regular non-streamlined authority manner.
E (Emergency Provision). Used only when the prescriber is unable to obtain telephone / online authority for the prescription at the time they wrote it and therefore endorsed the prescription accordingly.
Authority Code #. The applicable streamlined authority codes, which is a numerical value of up to five digits in length.
Directions
The Directions field is to be used when you need to enter patient instructions on how to take the drug. You can use a mixture of sigs (abbreviations) and freeform text. You can use punctuation when entering directions, even next to sigs. You do not need to leave spaces either side of your sig. As you type the sigs, this information can be viewed immediately in the Label Preview which gives you the opportunity to make any changes (if needed) before printing a label.
For more information see Directions.
Quantity
Use this field to enter the prescribed quantity. The quantity can be specified as either a whole number or decimal value, e.g. 20 or 20.50, where up to three decimal places can be used.
When a drug is selected in Item Dispensed:
The quantity will default to the selected drug’s PBS maximum quantity (if applicable), or its standard quantity otherwise, unless the quantity field already has a value that isn’t a previously selected drug’s default quantity.
For PBS drugs, the recommended maximum dosage for the PBS maximum quantity from the drug’s prescribing conditions is visible below the Quantity field. (e.g. “[max 2]”).
The script is priced privately if the quantity is increased past the PBS maximum and there is no authority number.
Repeats
This field can be used to enter information about;
The number of repeats prescribed.
Number of times the item has been previously dispensed.
Indicate whether the script is to be deferred.
Or, whether all items are to be supplied in one go, under Regulation 24.
For more information see Repeats.
Interval
The Interval is the number of days that need to elapse between repeats, before which a patient is not allowed to purchase the specific drug from the pharmacy. The Interval field is active only if the duration between repeats is specified by the prescriber; the drug selected in Item Dispensed is then flagged as ‘Prescriber specifies repeats’. You can enter up to three digits in this field.
If there is no such requirement the field is inactive.
Patient Price
The Patient Price provides you with the patient price of the item you are dispensing. The price is calculated automatically based on the script details entered. The dispenser can revise the price in special circumstances, when needed.
$ Dollar Sign
The Dollar Sign “$” beside the patient price can be used to access the pricing details for the selected drug. You can use this space to override specific pricing parameters (e.g. specify mark-ups, fees, discounts, etc. to calculate new and overall patient prices) such as, Price Overrides and Recovery Price for Extemporaneous Preparations.
For more information see $ Dollar Sign.
Label Preview
The Label Preview displays the name of the item prescribed and the item dispensed (if different), its dosage and price, directions of use, name of the patient and prescriber, date prescribed and the number of repeats (if any).
Any selections made or information entered on the Dispense Screen will be reflected immediately in the label preview. This also includes the expanded directions with every keystroke in the Directions field.
If directions are too long to fit onto a single medicine label it will automatically flow onto further labels, this is done via multiple labels for long directions.
For more information see Label Preview.
Dispenser
The Dispenser field displays the name of the pharmacist or person responsible for dispensing the script. Enter your name in the search text box, when dispensing a script.
You can select a Dispenser by Code or Name.
For more information see Dispenser.
