Signatures required on prescription forms and EPS tokens
From 1st September 2021 patients (or their representatives) will be required to once again sign the reverse of NHS prescription forms and EPS tokens for all prescriptions presented.
This comes after ten months of a temporary suspension in the requirement to capture signatures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Patients or their representatives are not required to make a declaration or sign the reverse of forms for any automatic exemptions such as:
- age related exemptions
- free of charge (FOC) items where they are the only items on the form
- where Real Time Exemption Checking (RTEC) confirm the exemption
- supplies of a smaller quantity than the full amount specified on a prescription made under a Serious Shortage Protocol (SSP).
Advice for Pharmacy Teams
- Reintroduce the process of obtaining exemption or paid declarations and signatures and review standard operating procedures for taking in and handing out prescriptions to refresh the team’s understanding of capturing signatures
- Check current stock levels of EPS tokens and order additional supplies if required. They can be ordered from Primary Care Support England (PSCE)
- Ensure all FP10 paper prescription forms are sorted into their correct groups of exempt, paid or paid at old charge rate as any unsigned forms marked with an exemption reason will be switched from the exempt to the chargeable bundle by the NHSBSA and the relevant charges will be deducted from the contractor’s account
- For electronic prescriptions, ensure that the correct paid or exemption declaration made on the token is applied to the electronic message before it is submitted for payment.
- Submit tokens with exemption declarations that are not automatic to the NHSBSA at the end of the month, ensuring that they are kept separate from FP10 paper prescriptions
- Tokens for payment claims for supplies made against an SSP must be placed in the red separator at the top of the relevant paid or exempt bundle
If you require any further advice or information, contact our Information Services team on 0800- 783-5709 option 2