The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001
The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, which come into
effect on 1 February, are a consolidation of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations
1985 and its subsequent amendments. They are almost identical in terms
to the 1985 Regulations and therefore there is little change for pharmacists
in hospital or community practice.
Benzodiazepines (and eight other substances) and
anabolic drugs were listed in Part II and Part I, respectively, of Schedule
4 of the 1985 Regulations. These were commonly referred to as CD (Benz)
and CD (Anab) for simplicity. Changes have now been made to reverse the
listing, so that Part I becomes Part II and vice versa. There is no need
to change the descriptions, although the effect is that CD (Benz) now
means Schedule 4 Part I. This change was accompanied by a tightening of
the controls on benzodiazepine drugs, so that the degree of control now
moves progressively through the Schedules, with Schedule 1 being the most
stringent and Schedule 5 the least stringent.
The new controls on benzodiazepines include restrictions
on import and export, and possession without authority becomes an offence.
The increased controls will have no impact on most hospital and community
pharmacists.
As Schedule 4 Controlled Drugs, benzodiazepines
are not subject to the requirement for community pharmacies and publicly
funded hospitals to keep a CD register (a requirement only for Schedule
2 drugs), but any person possessing or supplying CDs under the terms of
a Home Office licence (which could include some private hospitals) should
check with the Home Office (advice on legal changes, tel 020 7273 3474;
enquiries in respect of production, supply and possession authorisations,
tel 020 7273 2620; applications for and enquiries about import and export
licences, tel 020 7273 3475).
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