Dispensing of a drug

Medication Monitoring

Medication advice Medication Control Medicine dispensing Handout

Picking up your medications

For most medications, you need a prescription. After receiving the prescription, through you or your doctor, the pharmacy assistant enters it into our system. Here we check that the medicines can be used safely together. If something is wrong, we consult with your doctor. Then we prepare and check your medication. We give you the necessary information about their use and put important data in your patient file.

We check everything carefully and explain how to use the medications

Anouk, 34 years old, pharmacy assistant

Medicine shortages and the role of the pharmacy

Medicine shortages are a growing problem in the Netherlands. This means that certain medicines are temporarily or not available at all. This can be due to problems in production, distribution or a sudden increase in demand. The pharmacy helps to solve these shortages.

Stock management

We always try to keep a good stock of commonly used medications. We work with suppliers and manufacturers to make sure the most needed medications are in stock.

Alternative medicines

If a medicine is not available, we can often offer an alternative medicine. This can be another brand with the same active ingredient or a similar drug that has the same effect. Sometimes you will then get a different box than you are used to.

Consult with doctors

The pharmacist or assistant may contact your doctor to discuss a suitable alternative. Sometimes it is necessary to adjust a prescription or prescribe a different medication.

Information and advice

The pharmacist gives clear information about using alternative medicines. They explain how to take the new medicine and what side effects you can expect.

Placing orders

If the medicine is not immediately available, we can place an order. Sometimes it takes a while before the medicine arrives, but we do everything we can to arrange this as soon as possible.

What can you do as a patient?

It helps if you tell us on time what you need and when. We will do our best to have your medication in stock on time.

When may the pharmacy bill for this 'act'

The pharmacy may bill for these operations if the pharmacy performed the activities listed below, among others. Please note that this information is subject to change in the interim. The handling fee for a prescription line is approximately €7.50. The cost of the medication itself is calculated separately. Want to know the cost of a medication? Check medicinecosts.com for more information.

Control whether the prescription is clear, genuine, logical and useful
Medication monitoring: Checking whether the prescribed medication is appropriate for the patient by looking for imperfections, incompleteness, inaccuracies or errors in drug, dosage, duration of treatment, interactions, contraindications, double medication, and hypersensitivity
Returning to or coordinating with the prescriber if the medication is not appropriate
Providing the patient with verbal and written relevant information (at a minimum, the package insert) before or during dispensing
Making UR-medication for patients who require it
Controlling for inconsistencies of the medication with the prescription prior to dispensing
Controlling the correct performance of all of the above activities after dispensing
Taking appropriate action in the event of suspected or identified deficiencies in pharmaceutical care and services
Record relevant data in the digital patient record
Dispensing of the UR drug
The health care provider does not charge more than once for a prescription for the performance 'Dispensing of a drug', unless:
The period for which the drug is prescribed is longer than the shelf life of the drug
This is a repeat prescription
The Health Care and Youth Inspectorate or the Medicines Evaluation Board has advised that a smaller quantity of the drug per dispensation should be dispensed than the prescription indicates
Agreement to the contrary has been made with the consumer's health insurer