PHARMACEUTICAL Defence Limited (PDL) has issued a practice update for members, after ongoing incidents relating to the dispensing of atropine eye drops.
According to PDL, despite a warning about the issue last year, it continues to receive reports where Atropine 1% was dispensed, when 0.01% was prescribed.
"The weaker form of atropine eye drops (0.01%) is typically prescribed to children to treat myopia, and these eye drops must be compounded by a pharmacy that is equipped to provide sterile compounding services," PDL said.
Using the full strength (1%) atropine in the eye of a child will result in extreme discomfort.
PDL said some incidents related to prescribing software which did not accommodate the writing of the 0.01% strength, so the 1% standard script was computer generated and then altered by hand to 0.01%.
Pharmacists were urged to always contact prescribers for clarification.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 11 Sep 19
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