The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 275 No 7378 p685
3 December 2005

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· Prescriptions (2)
· Controlled drugs (2)
· Medicines use reviews
· IT support systems
· Safety
· Complementary medicine

Letters to the Editor

Controlled drugs

Notice of change to handwriting requirements was too short

From Mr A. C. Dean, MRPharmS

The significant change to the legal requirements for Controlled Drug prescriptions, ie, the abolition of handwriting requirements will, no doubt, be widely welcomed.

It is of some concern, however, that the notice given (as far as I am aware it was just a news item [p597] and an article [p617] in the PJ of the 12 November) was short and poorly publicised, leading to many pharmacists I know being unaware of the changes prior to their taking effect.

It is to be hoped that future changes to legislation (including changes following the Shipman inquiry) will be better communicated to both the pharmacy and medical professions.

Anthony Dean
Executive Officer
Norfolk Local Pharmaceutical Committee

Confused over changes to handwriting requirements

From Mr R. A. Hancocks, MRPharmS

I write because I am now somewhat confused over the purpose of the prescription requirements for Controlled Drugs following the amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations (PJ, 12 November, p597 and p617). When a doctor was required to handwrite the prescription it was my assurance that I was interpreting his or her own prescription; the additional requirements such as total quantity in words and figures, and pharmaceutical form were there to ensure the prescription was unambiguous. The removal of the handwriting requirement means that when details are missing anyone can insert them: the pharmacist, receptionist, nurse, ward clerk, or patient. Once the pharmacist is assured that they are dispensing the prescription as intended, this subtle change has turned a prescription requirement into an endorsement requirement and I am not sure how that adds to the control of Controlled Drug.

I am fully supportive of computer generated prescriptions for Controlled Drugs and these should be the “norm” as they are clear and unambiguous. I am sure that the regulations could have been formulated to allow computer prescribing but to retain the handwriting requirement in other circumstances. As the regulations stand at present, they appear pointless.

Roger Hancocks
Worksop, Nottinghamshire

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