Items With Multiple Flavours
Items With Multiple Flavours
Prescriptions containing items available with multiple flavours can be prescribed in different ways. This page goes through the different scenarios of how prescribers will send prescriptions to pharmacy teams and how pharmacy teams should dispense and endorse them as well as covering how pharmacy contractors will be paid in these scenarios.
Prescriptions for multiple flavours also need to be endorsed correctly to ensure reimbursement for the appropriate number of Single Activity Fees (SAF), the SAF is paid automatically for all eligible items and, where a prescription orders multiple, assorted, various or mixed flavours, one SAF can be claimed for each flavour supplied and endorsed. You can read more about the SAF in our factsheet here
The request to dispense multiple flavours can be expressed in different ways and the table below shows how the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) treats the information.
The table below shows some examples from EPS and paper prescriptions and the fees that would apply.
Example reference below | Prescribed field information | EPS | Paper |
1 | Flavour specified e.g. ‘Vanilla’ ‘Fortisip Bottle Vanilla (Nutricia Ltd)’ | Only one fee is paid per flavour specified | Only one fee is paid per flavour specified |
2 | ‘Flavour Not Specified’ ‘Fortisip Bottle (Flavour Not Specified)’ Where flavoured products are prescribed, and the prescriber does not want to specify the flavour required to allow the patient or pharmacist to choose instead, the ‘Flavour Not Specified’ option can be selected. |
Unless ‘AF’ endorsement is selected by the prescriber, only one fee per item is paid regardless of how many flavours are endorsed. | Only one fee is paid regardless of how many flavours are endorsed. However, see point 4. |
3 | Mixed/assorted/various flavours ‘Fortisip Bottle (Nutricia Ltd) (Flavour Not Specified) Multiple Flavours’ |
The prescriber must add the ‘AF’ endorsement in the prescriber endorsement field if the patient requires multiple flavours. |
A fee is paid for each flavour endorsed. For example, six different flavours endorsed would attract six fees. |
4 | Supplementary information in dosage/directions ‘Fortisip Bottle (Nutricia Ltd) (Flavour Not Specified) One to be taken twice daily (Strawberry and Banana)’ |
If the prescriber has added assorted, mixed or various flavours to the dosage instructions of an EPS prescription, this will not be seen by NHSBSA as they only extract prescriber endorsements (for example, ‘AF’) from the prescriber endorsement field of the EPS prescription message. | If supplementary information requesting various flavours is added to the dosage/directions area, the prescription will need to be placed in a red separator to be seen by an operator if multiple flavours are endorsed |
EPS Prescriptions
Paper Prescriptions
Prescription charges and fees
If a patient is not exempt from prescription charges, and multiple flavours of the same product are prescribed as separate items, only one prescription charge would apply.
PSNC Top Tips:
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Click here to see PSNC’s webinar on endorsements which includes information on endorsing multiple flavours ordered on electronic and paper prescriptions. The webinar slides can be viewed here.
Related resources
Dispensing Factsheet: Expensive items
Webinar – Endorsing Good Practice Guidance:How To Avoid Common Errors
Dispensing and Supply Factsheet: Understanding the Single Activity Fee