Methadone is a man-made opioid often used to help people stop taking heroin. The drug is prescription-only, and to begin with, those prescribed it will need to visit the pharmacy every day to take it supervised.
It is crucial that, if an instalment prescription requires a dose to be provided on a specific day and the pharmacy is contracted to be open, the pharmacist dispenses on that day and not before or after. If the pharmacy is closed on the prescribed date, then the pharmacist may give the instalment on a suitable prior date, but only if this specific instruction is included in the instalment prescription dosing directions. These legal requirements are in place to reduce the risk of inadvertent overdoses, which can lead to death, and must be followed.
The PDA’s advisory note provides important information about dispensing instalment prescriptions, including the legal requirements, consequences of failing to follow these requirements, and the implications for practice. The PDA encourages all pharmacists to review this document.
Read the advisory note here
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