The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7255 p910
28 June 2003

Society summary

An occasional feature, prepared in the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Professional Standards Directorate, to highlight problems and inquiries currently being handled

Law and Ethics Bulletin, 2001 to present

Changes to Misuse of Drugs Regulations

Pharmacists are alerted to the fact that on 1 July 2003 certain drugs will be brought under the control of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 for the first time.

From July 1 2003 remifentanil and dihydroetorphine will be added to Schedule 2 of the Regulations. This means that from that date these drugs will require prescriptions in the doctor's own handwriting detailing the full prescription requirements for Controlled Drugs. Register entries will have to be made for all receipts and supplies. Each drug will require its own section in the CD register, or, if no such section is available, pharmacists should use a blank section suitably headed for the drug being recorded. Both drugs will be subject to safe custody requirements. As with all Schedule 2 drugs, any destruction of stock will require the attendance of an authorised witness.

Private nursing homes, private hospices and acute independent hospitals will require a Home Office licence to keep stocks of these drugs from 1 July onwards. Pharmacists asked to supply such establishments must check that the relevant licences are held before any supply is made.

Two other drugs — zolpidem and 4-hydroxy-n-butyric acid, or gammahydroxy-butyrate (GHB) — are to be added to Schedule 4 of Part I of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 and will therefore be subject to the same controls as benzodiazepines such as diazepam.

In addition, 4-androstene-3,17-dione, 19-nor-4-androstene-3,17-dione, 5-androstene-3,17-diol and 19-nor-5-androstene-3,17-diol will be added to Schedule 4 Part II of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 and will be subject to the same controls as anabolic steroids.