PGD

Question 1

What is the official definition of a Patient Group Direction (PGD)?

Answer 1

A written instruction for the sale, supply and/or administration of named medicines in an identified clinical situation to groups of patients who may not be individually identified before treatment.

Question 2

Under a PGD, can treatment be given to patients who are not known to the service in advance?

Answer 2

Yes, it applies to groups of patients who may not be individually identified before presenting for treatment, such as in a walk-in centre.

Question 3

Who is legally authorised to supply or administer medicines under a PGD?

Answer 3

Only registered healthcare professionals listed in the legislation (Schedule 16, Part 4 of the HMR 2012).

Question 4

When specifying staff groups in a PGD, should job titles or protected titles be used?

Answer 4

The PGD must use the protected title for the staff group, not job titles.

Question 5

What is the nature of a professional’s responsibility when working under a PGD?

Answer 5

Professionals working under PGDs act autonomously and are accountable for their own actions.

Question 6

Is a Patient Group Direction considered a form of prescribing?

Answer 6

No, PGDs are not a form of prescribing.

Question 7

What is the rule regarding deviation from the criteria set out within a PGD?

Answer 7

No deviations from the PGD are permitted; the patient must meet the criteria exactly.

Question 8

What action must be taken if a patient meets any of the exclusion criteria listed in a PGD?

Answer 8

The patient must not be treated under the PGD and should be referred to an appropriate service.

Question 9

Can a healthcare professional use their clinical judgement to administer a medicine under a PGD if the patient does not meet the criteria?

Answer 9

No, clinical judgement cannot be used to supply or administer a medicine outside the criteria stated in the PGD.

Question 10

A PGD must not be used for the supply or administration of _____.

Answer 10

abortifacients

Question 11

Can a task under a PGD be delegated by an authorised professional to another individual?

Answer 11

No, delegation is not permitted under a PGD.

Question 12

Is it appropriate to use a PGD for medicines that require dose adjustments?

Answer 12

No, PGDs must not be used for medicines requiring dose adjustments.

Question 13

Can unlicensed medicines or radiopharmaceuticals be administered via a PGD?

Answer 13

No, PGDs must not be used for unlicensed medicines or radiopharmaceuticals.

Question 14

Why are PGDs generally considered unsuitable for the management of long-term conditions?

Answer 14

They are unsuitable for long-term conditions or for medicines requiring frequent or complex monitoring.

Question 15

Name two healthcare professions that are not permitted to supply a Controlled Drug (CD) under a PGD.

Answer 15

Dieticians, speech and language therapists, dental therapists, dental hygienists, or pharmacy technicians.

Question 16

Which two pieces of legislation are central to the use of Controlled Drugs within PGDs?

Answer 16

The Human Medicines Regulations 2012 (HMR 2012) and the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001.

Question 17

Under a PGD, morphine and diamorphine (Schedule 2 CDs) can only be administered by which two professions?

Answer 17

Registered nurses and pharmacists.

Question 18

For what specific purpose can nurses and pharmacists administer morphine or diamorphine under a PGD?

Answer 18

For the immediate necessary treatment of a sick or injured person, but not for treating addiction.

Question 19

Which Schedule 3 Controlled Drug is specified as being allowed under a PGD?

Answer 19

Midazolam.

Question 20

What is the general rule for supplying Schedule 4 Controlled Drugs under a PGD?

Answer 20

All Schedule 4 drugs are allowed, except for anabolic steroids and injectable medicines used for treating addiction.

Question 21

What two key dates must every PGD document contain?

Answer 21

The date the PGD becomes effective and the date it expires.

Question 22

A PGD requires signatures from a doctor/dentist, a pharmacist, and an authorised individual from what type of body?

Answer 22

An appropriate health organisation.

Question 23

Regarding the patient group, a PGD must specify the clinical condition and details of patients who are _____.

Answer 23

excluded

Question 24

What key details about the medicine’s administration must be included in a PGD?

Answer 24

The dose, route, frequency, and duration of treatment.

Question 25

What is a professional's primary responsibility before starting to provide a service under a PGD?

Answer 25

To read and fully understand the PGD.

Question 26

To confirm their agreement to work under a PGD, what must a competent healthcare professional do?

Answer 26

They must sign the PGD to confirm their agreement to supply and/or administer medicines in accordance with it.

Question 27

Give an example of a service where assessment and treatment follow a clearly predictable pattern suitable for a PGD.

Answer 27

Vaccination clinics, minor injury units, or contraception and sexual health services.

Question 28

What is a Patient Specific Direction (PSD)?

Answer 28

A written instruction, signed by a prescriber, for medicines to be supplied and/or administered to a named individual after a one-to-one assessment.

Question 29

Is a Patient Specific Direction (PSD) a legally defined framework like a PGD?

Answer 29

No, a PSD is not defined in legislation; it is a prescriber's clinical direction.

Question 30

Is a verbal instruction from a doctor to a nurse considered a valid PSD?

Answer 30

No, a PSD must be a written instruction.

Question 31

What three pieces of information about the medicine itself are a minimum requirement for a PSD?

Answer 31

The name, form, and strength of the medicine.

Question 32

What information, in addition to their name, should be included in a PSD for a child?

Answer 32

The child's age and/or other individual identifiers.

Question 33

What two items must be present on a PSD to validate who wrote it and when?

Answer 33

The signature of the prescriber and the date the PSD was written.

Question 34

A PGD applies to a group of patients, whereas a PSD applies to _____.

Answer 34

a single, named patient

Question 35

Who performs the patient assessment when working under a PGD?

Answer 35

The healthcare professional administering the medicine assesses the patient against the criteria in the PGD.

Question 36

How does the range of staff who can act on a PSD differ from those who can use a PGD?

Answer 36

A PSD can be used by a wider range of staff, including healthcare assistants, as it is a direct instruction from a prescriber.

Question 37

Compare the legal status of a PGD with that of a PSD.

Answer 37

A PGD is a formal legal framework, whereas a PSD is a clinical instruction that does not have a specific legal format.

Question 38

A nurse giving a flu vaccine to 'Mrs. Smith' as instructed by a GP is an example of practice under a _____.

Answer 38

Patient Specific Direction (PSD)

Question 39

A pharmacist supplying emergency contraception according to a pre-defined framework for eligible individuals is an example of practice under a _____.

Answer 39

Patient Group Direction (PGD)