Pharmacy teams are reminded that it is possible for multiple prescribers to share identical names.
For example, in 2016, ACP was made aware of two Edmonton-area physicians who shared the exact same first, middle, and last names. One physician was a general practitioner and the other was an emergency room physician.
The issue with the identical names became apparent when the emergency room physician received several notifications from the Tracked Prescription Program (TPP) for prescriptions they did not write. Additionally, the emergency room physician received prescription refill requests for patients who were under the care of the other physician. This situation not only led to pharmacists creating inaccurate patient records, but in some cases disrupted patient care.
As outlined in the Standards of Practice for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians, remember to
- identify and authenticate the prescriber;
- determine whether the prescriber is legally authorized to prescribe the drug for which the prescription has been given; and
- assess whether the prescription has been altered, forged, or stolen.
In addition to the prescriber’s name, regulated members can use other identifiers to confirm the prescriber’s identity. These include registration number, phone number, and clinic address.
If anything about the prescriber’s identity remains unclear, regulated members are encouraged to contact the prescriber directly to confirm their identity and the authenticity of the prescription.
Regulated members can visit the Prescriber lists webpage for additional prescriber information and to verify the prescriber’s licence number.