Controlled Drug prescription change planned
Consultation has started on changing the law so that requirements for community pharmacies to keep private prescriptions are not made more onerous by new Controlled Drugs record-keeping requirements brought in as a result of the Shipman Inquiry.
Pharmacies currently have to keep all private prescriptions they dispense
for at least two years. But the Shipman changes mean that they are also
expected to send CD prescriptions to the NHS reimbursement agencies so
that all CD prescribing can be centrally monitored (PJ, 18 March, p307).
For the time being, this means that pharmacies are expected to keep original
CD prescriptions and send photocopies to the reimbursement agencies.
Forthcoming changes to CD legislation mean that they will soon need to
send in the originals and keep photocopies for their own records.
Now the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is suggesting
that pharmacies should not need to keep copies of prescriptions for Schedule
2 and 3 CDs at all. They will still be expected to keep records in their
prescription books and CD registers.
Consultation on the change, which will apply throughout the UK, closes
on 21 August. Comment can be submitted
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