Regarding the Delivery of Medicinal Products and Medical Devices to a Place of Residence of a Person

Issued pursuant to
Sub-paragraph 2.¹3 of Cabinet Order No. 103
of 12 March 2020, Regarding the Declaration
of Emergency Situation

1. Considering the current epidemiological situation in order to protect the lives and health interests of Latvian patients during the spread of COVID-19 infection, and also the fact that all persons who have contracted COVID-19 are under strict quarantine that includes prohibition to leave the place of residence, and based on the rights specified for the Minister for Health in Sub-paragraph 2.¹3 of Cabinet Order No. 103 of 12 March 2020, Regarding the Declaration of Emergency Situation:

1.1. A general (open) type pharmacy which delivers medicinal products and medical devices (hereinafter - the medicinal products) to inhabitants at their place of residence shall, prior to the commencement of the service, inform the State Agency of Medicines of the provision of such service to inhabitants, and the State Agency of Medicines shall indicate it on its website. If general (open) type pharmacies do not provide such service, they shall inform the person of the nearest general (open) type pharmacy which provides such service.

1.2. A general (open) type pharmacy shall ensure the identification of the person - recipient of the medicinal products, remote consultation on the use of the medicinal products, verification of the medicinal products at the pharmacy prior to delivery, and maintenance of the quality of the medicinal products during delivery, complying with the risk reduction measures specified in this Order and in the State in relation to becoming infected with COVID-19.

1.3. The medicinal products may be delivered to a person's home by a pharmacist and a pharmacist's assistant employed in a general (open) type pharmacy and a branch of a pharmacy or by the medical practitioner referred to in Section 42 of the Pharmaceutical Law, and also by couriers, representatives of voluntary organisations and associations, carers, and a social work specialist who provides social care services (hereinafter - the volunteer). The narcotic or psychotropic medicinal products shall be delivered to a person's home only by an employee of a pharmacy or its branch - an employed pharmacist or pharmacist's assistant (except for the case referred to in Section 42 of the Pharmaceutical Law where the medicinal products may be delivered by a medical practitioner).

1.4. The medicinal products shall be delivered to a person's home if the person is not able to go to a pharmacy or delegate another person to pick up the medicinal products prescribed for such person by an e-prescription in the e-health system at ta pharmacy.

1.5. A general (open) type pharmacy may accept an order for door-to-door delivery of the medicinal products both via telephone and using other information society services. The minimum requirements for the identification of the person - recipient of medicinal products - is the given name, surname, address of the place of residence, telephone number, in case of e-prescription - also the personal identity number of the recipient of medicinal products for the processing of the e-prescription in the e-health system.

1.6. The manager of a general (open) type pharmacy shall be responsible for the quality of the provided delivery service. The manager and a pharmacist of a general (open) type pharmacy who organises the issuance and delivery of medicinal products shall, according to competence thereof, be responsible for overseeing all stages of medicinal product delivery so that the right medicinal products would be delivered to the right patient, including for issuing medicinal products, labelling, and putting stickers on the packaging of medicinal products, packaging, delivery of the parcel to the patient, adequacy and sufficiency of the information provided during the consultation for the safe use of medicinal products in patients.

1.7. Upon receiving an order, a pharmacist shall discuss via telephone the issues regarding those medicinal products prescribed for a person which such person wishes to receive at home and shall provide pharmaco-therapeutic consultations and inform about the prescribed medicinal products and their use in order to ascertain that the person has information on the medicinal products to be issued, correct use, storage, and destruction thereof, and also on the payment procedures. The pharmacist shall discuss the following with a person:

1.7.1. what medicinal products have been prescribed by a prescription;

1.7.2. if the international non-proprietary name of medicinal products has been prescribed, which medicinal products are the cheapest and which can be issued by the general (open) type of pharmacy;

1.7.3. how to use the prescribed medicinal products, how to store and destroy them, and other remaining questions upon ordering home delivery of medicinal products from a pharmacy;

1.7.4. will ask the person to be at home when the medicinal products would be delivered so that the pharmacy can ensure home delivery of medicinal products.

1.8. A pharmacist shall agree with a person on approximate time of delivery of medicinal products, shall inform about who will deliver the parcel of medicinal products and the telephone number of the general (open) type pharmacy which can be used by the person to contact the pharmacy in case questions on the medicinal products delivered thereto arise.

1.9. A pharmacist shall be responsible for examining the prescription prescribed and for providing the required remote consultations to a person regarding the medicinal products and their use. The volunteer shall not provide any information to the person at his or her place of residence regarding the medicinal products and their use.

1.10. A general (open) type pharmacy shall place the medicinal products for a person in two closed (sealed) packages.

1.11. The following information shall be indicated on the outer packaging of the parcel:

1.11.1. given name, surname, and address of the person;

1.11.2. contact telephone number of the person;

1.11.3. indication "additional identification required" if narcotic and psychotropic medicinal products will be delivered, which means that the person has to state his or her personal identity number to the pharmacist or pharmacist's assistant or the medical practitioner who delivers the medicinal products.

1.12. The following information shall be indicated on the packaging of medicinal products put in the outer packaging of the parcel:

1.12.1. given name, surname, personal identity number, and address of the person;

1.12.2. name, address, and working hours of the general (open) type pharmacy;

1.12.3. given name, surname of the contact person of the general (open) type pharmacy and the telephone number where the pharmacist can be reached during the working hours of the general (open) pharmacy if any questions regarding the delivered medicinal products arise.

1.13. A pharmacy shall acquaint the volunteer with the procedures for delivering medicinal products.

1.14. A general (open) type pharmacy shall register each home delivery of medicinal products to a person electronically or in paper form in the delivery registration sheet indicating the given name, surname, address and contact telephone number of the person and the given name, surname, and personal identity number of the volunteer. For additional identification - the personal identity number of the person - recipient of the medicinal products - if narcotic and psychotropic medicinal products are delivered. The delivery registration sheet shall be signed by a pharmacist and the volunteer, and a pharmacy shall give one copy to the volunteer. After delivery, the volunteer shall fill in the registration sheet indicating the information on the performed delivery, and shall submit it to the pharmacy.

1.15. At a general (open) type pharmacy a pharmacist shall instruct the volunteer that the medicinal products need to be delivered to the patient without delay. A pharmacist shall inform the volunteer of deliveries containing medicinal products which require special storage requirements in refrigeration equipment and shall determine a priority delivery.

1.16. The volunteer shall receive the parcel of medicinal products at a general (open) type pharmacy in a closed (sealed) outer packaging.

1.17. The volunteer shall deliver the medicinal products to the person's home during the time period indicated by the general (open) type pharmacy because the general (open) type pharmacy has agreed with the person on the time of delivery.

1.18. Upon arriving at the place of residence of the person, the volunteer who delivers the parcel of medicinal products shall call the person to his or her telephone number indicated on the packaging of the parcel and shall ask to confirm the given name, surname, and address of the person in order to compare it with the information indicated on the packaging of the parcel of medicinal products. If narcotic and psychotropic medicinal products are delivered, a pharmacist or a pharmacist's assistant, or a medical practitioner shall ask to confirm the personal identity number of the person - the recipient of medicinal products. Following receipt of affirmative answer from a person, the packaging of the parcel shall be placed at the doors of the apartment and the person shall be informed via telephone that the parcel is at the doors, and the volunteer shall step back 2 m from the doors of the apartment of the person.

1.19. A person under self-isolation, home quarantine, or strict isolation shall, before opening the doors, put on a mouth and nose cover.

1.20. The volunteer asks the person to confirm his or her given name, surname and address one more time.

1.21. If the volunteer cannot contact the person via telephone or no one opens the doors of the apartment, the medicinal products shall be delivered back to the general (open) type pharmacy without delay, preferably on the same day when the parcel was received.

1.22. The volunteer shall confirm the safe delivery by returning the delivery registration sheet to the pharmacy.

1.23. If the person has any questions about the received medicinal products or the parcel, the person shall contact the general (open) type pharmacy which delivered the medicinal products.

2. The Order shall enter into effect on the day after its publication in the official gazette Latvijas Vēstnesis.

Minister for Health I. Viņķele

Translation © 2020 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)