Pharmacist signed my prescription

[FluffyAragog]

Picked up my monthly prescription yesterday, the pharmacy assistant got the script out for me to sign (they're sent electronically) and it already had a signature and the "Has a prepayment certificate" box was checked. Assistant seemed surprised and said the pharmacist must have done it, checked with me that I did have a prepayment certificate (I do) and said it was all fine, I didn't need to sign.

Obviously not a big deal at all but seemed unusual to me, so thought I'd see if anyone knew why they'd done it. DH said perhaps they do random checks on prepayment certificates and mine was one but that seems like a time consuming thing! Or perhaps because I get so many prescriptions they were saving me time?

Mine has a copy of my exemption certificate on file so that box is already ticked and I don’t have anything to complete

They do checks on normal prescriptions to check people are entitled to claim free prescriptions so maybe they do check pre payment cards as well.

They can do this as long as they’ve seen your pre-payment certificate at some point and are happy that you have one that is still valid.

I worked in a Pharmacy for a few years and know that my Pharmacist would sign on behalf of the patient if she had either seen the pre payment card or the details were on the system showing the card was still valid. This was a practice only adopted with long term patients of the pharmacy that we knew and they were normally people on a repeat prescription.

I don't think they send actual physical cards for the pre-payment these days? I've just been told I won't receive a card anymore, but the information is available to the powers that be electronically.

Interesting, so sounds like I've become such a regular (go me! ) that they're saving me a step. That's helpful. No, I don't have a card, just an email. Valid for 12 months. Such value for money, would definitely recommend for anyone with regular prescriptions.

Mine does too, they know me.

Little tip (from hospital pharmacist) is to take a picture of the letter and keep it on your phone if you need it when you aren't at your regular pharmacist. Saves having to pay and reclaim.

I just had to show my medical exemption card once to my pharmacist and they put the details on file. She said no need to bring it again. TBH, the drugs I take are always free for people with my condition but they just need it for their records I guess.

My pharmacist now keeps the number of my card on their records because it’s not longer a physical card and they work on the assumption people won’t always have the information on them or else the paperwork that is posted becomes illegible by the end of the year.

Mine signs for me, she knows me well enough by now that she grabs my bag of drugs before I get to the counter and we have a chat about our kids and the weather 😂

We tick exceptions on the back of prescriptions only if we have seen proof of them (we have this on your record), so we know that we don't have to ask you. Its also easier for us so that we know who we have seen proof for.

If we have no proof that you have an exception then we cross a little box on the prescription and the pricing authority will do random checks on these.

Yes my pharmacist does this as they have seen my medical exemption cert