A Patient Specific Direction is a written instruction from a doctor or dentist or other independent prescriber for a medicine to be supplied or administered to a named patient.
For example:
primary care: a prescription or simple written or electronic instruction in the patient's notes (NB. This includes a letter from a consultant to the GP requesting that the patient commence on zoladex )
secondary care: instructions on a patient's ward drug chart
PSDs do not limit those who can supply or administer the medicine. For example, a suitably trained health care assistant can do so, even though they cannot work under a PGD.
PSDs are also often used in relation to the administration of vaccinations for named patients as well as Depo-Provera, B12 and Zoladex.
Template PSD available for use if you wish (SDW 2010)
See also: PGDs and PSDs
Patient Group Directions (PGDs) | 
