Good Pharmacy Practice
What this domain tests
Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP) tests patient-centred dispensing: valid prescription handling, counselling, records, storage, cold chain and waste. The exam expects practical judgement, not slogans.
Core rules and concepts
- Dispense only on a valid prescription where required; check patient details, medicine, dose, route, frequency, duration and prescriber.
- Conduct a clinical check: interactions, contraindications, allergies, duplication and dose appropriateness.
- Counsel on use, timing, food, missed doses and red-flag symptoms; confirm understanding.
- Maintain records: prescription register, controlled-drug register, fridge temperatures, recalls and complaints.
- Store medicines under labelled conditions; segregate expired, damaged and recalled stock; maintain cold chain and clean dispensing areas.
- Use SOPs for dispensing, returns, waste and emergency supplies.
Worked example
A patient presents a prescription for warfarin and is also buying an antibiotic. Reasoning: the pharmacist should not simply sell the antibiotic. Check the prescription, interaction profile and INR monitoring advice. If the antibiotic is prescription-only, it cannot be supplied without a valid prescription. Counsel on bleeding signs and the need for INR review. Record the intervention. GPP is the reasoning and documentation, not only the sale.
Traps that cost marks
Labelling a medicine without counselling. Ignoring a legal prescription requirement because the patient asks. Failing to document an intervention. Storing vaccines outside the cold chain because the fridge looks cold. Returning dispensed medicines to saleable stock.