A Patient Specific Direction (PSD) is a written instruction, signed by a prescriber for medicines to be supplied and/or administered to a named patient after the prescriber has assessed the patient on an individual basis.
The prescriber has a duty of care and is professionally and legally accountable for the care he/she provides, including tasks delegated to others.
The prescriber must be satisfied that the person to whom the practice is delegated has the qualifications, experience, knowledge, and skills to provide the care or treatment involved.
The PSD must include the:
- name(s) of patient(s) and/or other individual patient identifiers including age if a child
- name, form and strength of medicine
- route of administration
- dose
- frequency
- date of treatment/number of doses/frequency/date treatment ends as applicable
- signature of prescriber.