The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 272 No 7284 p119
31 January 2004

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  Decision support
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Letters to the Editor

CD regulations

Incomplete CD prescriptions need to be addressed

From Mr R. I. Dunkley, MRPharmS

I read with interest the proposed changes that Dame Janet Smith posits as chairman of the Shipman Inquiry. The recommendations detailed in your article (PJ, 24 January, p81) came as no surprise to me. However, I stand four-square with my colleague Kay Roberts in giving pharmacists some discretion in dispensing incomplete Controlled Drug prescriptions because, as the CD regulations now are framed, pharmacists risk prosecution from dispensing an incomplete CD prescription. The main CD prescriptions that Ms Roberts and I are concerned about are the blue FP10 MDA ones for substance misusers on instalment prescribing, but our concern could easily be extended to other CD prescriptions.

I have raised my concerns with Melanie Johnson, Minister for Public Health, about how substance misusers are being disadvantaged by having badly written prescriptions — which we cannot (legally) dispense — so that they cannot have their medication. I have now had a response from the minister’s office to say that the matter is being given serious consideration.

In the light of Dame Janet’s recommendations and my response from the minister, I hope that we can get some agreement in the way the CD regulations are going, to assist pharmacists to help all their patients who have badly written CD prescriptions.

Bob Dunkley
Dewsbury, West Yorkshire

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