COVID-19 update for Pharmacists -  25 March 2020

From today the Pharmacy Council of NSW will be working with the NSW Health to provide pharmacists with COVID-19 updates.

Limits on supply of medicines

The Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Regulation 2008 (Regulation) requires that a pharmacist must only supply an S2, S3, S4 or S8 medicine in a quantity, or for a purpose, that accords with the recognised therapeutic standard of what is appropriate in the circumstances. Inappropriate supply may also constitute a contravention of Pharmacy Board Professional Practice guidelines and be considered unprofessional conduct.

Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, access to medicines is critical. In order to ensure fair and equitable access, pharmacists in community pharmacies must enforce limits on supply of certain prescription and over-the-counter medicines and apply limits to other products.

Pharmacists are urged to put local policies in place to ensure limits are enforced:

• Limit the supply of salbutamol inhalers (provided on an over-the-counter basis) to one per customer, and only for persons with evidence of a medically diagnosed lung condition or for persons with a record of previous supply from the pharmacist, as required by law. The provisions for supply to a person holding an asthma certificate and to a person responsible person for a residential care facility remain unchanged.

• Limit supply of classes of medicines for which unavailability or an interruption to treatment could result in significant health impacts, or which are expected to be subject to increased consumer demand associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The complete list of affected products is published on the TGA website and other medicines may be added overtime.

• Limit dispensing of prescription products to 1 months' supply at the prescribed dose or one pack, and sales of affected over-the-counter products to a maximum of one unit per purchase.

• Limit supply of paracetamol paediatric formulations to one product per customer, and place the product behind the counter to assist in allocating supply equitably.

In addition, pharmacists are strongly encouraged to limit dispensing and sales of all other medicines to one months’ supply or one unit. Dispensing of multiple repeats is permitted only for valid Regulation 49 prescriptions (formerly known as Regulation 24). PBS Regulation 49 must be used sparingly and only in exceptional circumstances in accordance with the legislated criteria. If pharmacists have doubts about the appropriateness of particular Regulation 49 prescriptions they should discuss this with the prescriber.

Limits on pharmacy sales will be accompanied by limits on orders from wholesalers, to ensure equitable distribution of stock, including to regional and rural pharmacies.

The TGA has published the following information in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic:

• COVID-19 limits on dispensing and sales at pharmacies
• Limits on dispensing and sales of prescription and over-the-counter medicines
• TGA cautions against over-buying medicines
• TGA response to Covid-19

NSW Health has published the following information in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic:

• Community pharmacy pandemic preparedness for COVID-19
• Advice for community pharmacies on COVID-19
• Homepage for information on COVID-19

Pharmacists are also reminded that the extemporaneous compounding of therapeutic goods in community pharmacies is only allowed when it is for a particular person for therapeutic application to that person. This means, compounding of batches of hand sanitisers, or any other therapeutic good, in pharmacies without the required TGA Manufacture (GMP) Licence, or without listing the good on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG), is not permitted under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989.