The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 275 No 7356 p18
2 July 2005

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· Annual General Meeting
· Registration
· Pharmacology
· Controlled drugs
· Technicians
· Birdsgrove House
· Registration examination
· Revalidation
· Supermarket pharmacy
· Dispensing
· New pharmacy contract
· PCTs
· The Society

Letters to the Editor

Controlled drugs

Temazepam’s status

From Dr B. Curwain, MRPharmS

It seems to me that temazepam’s status as a Controlled Drug is now somewhat unhelpful. Its status comes as the result of it being abused to a certain extent, especially in the days when gel-filled capsules were available. It still clearly has a street value, but the same is true of zopiclone and the other “z” drugs. The latter are not CDs and are also considerably more expensive for the NHS than temazepam. NICE has said that we should use the most “cost-effective” drug.

Surely all benzodiazepines should be CDs or none at all. At present we have parts of the health economy which refuse to use temazepam (and hence are in breach of NICE Guidance) because I am told there is not the facility to handle CDs. This refers to a lack of suitable storage to fulfil safe custody requirements.

If all the drugs were treated the same, we would save money and regularise an irrational situation.

Brian Curwain
New Forest PCT

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