Issuing prescriptions by the pharmacist to ensure continuity of medical treatment. Legal principles concerning a new typology of prescriptions

Abstract

At present, the pharmacist is allowed to issue 3 types of prescriptions for medicinal products. The Act on the profession of pharmacist of 10 December 2020 defines new and very important extended occupational power of the pharmacist, i.e. the pharmacist's right to issue prescriptions to maintain continuity of medical treatment originally ordered by primary care provider. The term used for this type of is repeat prescription. Since this largely enhanced occupational power of pharmacists involves several areas of legal regulations and detailed solutions, it deserves presentation. It is worth noting that the amendment of the law connected with COVID-19 prevention specifies alternations in the scope of heretofore pharmacists' occupational powers. Now they are authorized to write prescriptions for themselves (pro auctore), their family (pro familiae) as well as pharmaceutical prescriptions in the case of health and situations of dangering of life. Moreover, the new Act enhances this occupational power even further and approves it as part of the pharmaceutical patient care provided by the pharmacist. The term a repeat prescription refers to issued by pharmacist to ensure continuity of medical treatment and it should be understood as renewed by pharmacist to facilitate the continuation of treatment originally prescribed by the physician. This paper presents legislative regulations and details regarding this form of exercising occupational powers by the pharmacist together with outlining the conditions and essential elements of the procedure of issuing interpreted prescriptions.