If any medical professional wishes to dispense medication instead of merely prescribing it, they are required to have a dispensing license. This applies to both the private and the public sector. To apply for such a license, you must first complete a dispensing course with an accredited institution (see below). Not every doctor needs to get a license to dispense, however. Read below for more practical information.
Many GP practices decide to dispense medication from their practice. Reasons might include distance to the nearest pharmacy, patient profile, etc. The doctors working at such a practice would need to get a license for the practice and will only be able to dispense from that specific address. Any change in dispensing address will need to be applied for again.
If you mostly work as a locum doctor, it is also advisable to get a license to dispense. This will enable you to work at dispensing practices as a locum. You can make the decision based on the profile of practices in the areas where you primarily want to locum.
Since you will likely be working at different practices, you will need to apply for a specific locum DL. This will allow you to dispense at a practice where you are merely standing in, as long as the doctor you are standing in for has his/her license on display at the practice.
Before you can apply for your license, you must first complete a dispensing course. The course can be done through various institutions, such as:
Alternatively, click here to look for another approved provider of the course.
Once you have completed the dispensing course, you can apply for the license. Below are the license application guidelines and forms.
If you need more information, you can email dispensepps@health.gov.za with your queries.
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