Drug Recipes: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Drug Recipes control how a medication behaves when it's prescribed, including its PBS/RPBS restriction and whether it's picked up by Real-Time Prescription Monitoring. Choosing settings that don't match the recipe's original setup can cause unexpected behaviour later in the prescribing workflow. This article answers common questions about Drug Recipe setup and troubleshooting.

Contents:

1. What happens if I change the restriction to RPBS on a non-PBS drug recipe?
2. Why didn't my Drug Recipe get scanned by Real-Time Prescription Monitoring (RTPM)?
3. Can I undo a deleted Drug Recipe?
4. Can I personalise someone else's Drug Recipe instead of building one from scratch?
5. How do I keep my Drug Recipe list manageable?
6. Why can't I edit a recipe?

What happens if I change the restriction to RPBS on a non-PBS drug recipe?

If a Drug Recipe is created as non-PBS, and the restriction is then changed to RPBS at the point of prescribing, the following issues have been observed:

• After saving the script as a draft, re-opening it to enter the approval number does not trigger the pop-up to enter a DVA number
• The script's type changes to Private on saving
• The authority form number disappears

Recommendation: Keep the restriction consistent with how the Drug Recipe was originally configured. If you need a medication available under both PBS and RPBS, set this up as separate recipes rather than changing the restriction manually during prescribing.

Why didn't my Drug Recipe get scanned by Real-Time Prescription Monitoring (RTPM)?

Drug Recipes for medicines related to addiction, such as cannabis products containing high levels of THC, can trigger an RTPM check even though they fall outside the standard monitored drug list. Whether this happens depends on how the Generic Name is used when the recipe is created.

To ensure a Drug Recipe is correctly scanned:

1. In the ingredient list, select the correct generic drug name from the provided options. Spelling must match exactly, as it must be selected from the list rather than typed freely.
2. Include the same Generic Name in the Drug Recipe Name.

The ingredients still need to be populated so they print correctly on the prescription, but the RTPM check is triggered based on the Drug Recipe Name. RTPM scanning is performed on the final page of the prescribing workflow, in the same way as for standard monitored drugs.

Can I undo a deleted Drug Recipe?

No. Deleting a Drug Recipe is a permanent action and cannot be reversed. You can only delete recipes you created yourself.

Can I personalise someone else's Drug Recipe instead of building one from scratch?

Yes. If an existing recipe is almost right for your needs but requires a few changes, you can clone it rather than starting from scratch.

1. Check the box next to the recipe you want to copy.
2. Click More and select Clone.

You can then edit your cloned copy to personalise it, without affecting the original recipe.

How do I keep my Drug Recipe list manageable?

If a recipe is no longer needed, deactivating it keeps your active Drug Recipe list shorter and easier to work with in the prescribing window, without permanently deleting it.

1. Check the box next to the recipe.
2. Click Update Status and select Deactivate.

To bring a recipe back later:

1. Change the Filter to show only Inactive recipes.
2. Check the box next to the recipe, click Update Status, and select Activate.

Why can't I edit a recipe?

Only the creator of a recipe can edit it. If you need to make changes to a recipe someone else created, clone it and edit your own copy instead, see Can I personalise someone else's Drug Recipe instead of building one from scratch? above.

Note: If the recipe is a Practice-shared recipe, once your updated copy is in use you may want to deactivate the older version if it's no longer needed, see How do I keep my Drug Recipe list manageable? above.

Further Reading

• Drug Recipe Management: Quick Guide
• Real-Time Prescription Monitoring (RTPM): Configuration & Quick Guide