The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 277 No 7415 p247
26 August 2006

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· Department of Health
· Work pressures (2)
· Homoeopathy (2)
· Controlled drugs
· Safety
· Oxygen service
· Compliance aids
· Needle exchange
· Paracetamol
· Smoking cessation
· The profession (2)
· Retention fees (4)
· The Society (2)
· Public image

Letters to the Editor

Controlled drugs

Doctor’s bag exempt from new regulations

From Mrs B. M. Stephens, MRPharmS

Over the past few months, pharmacists have worked hard to assimilate the new Controlled Drugs regulations and have accepted the extra paperwork in order to attempt to tighten control on CD prescribing and supply.

This seems rather pointless when regulations concerning signed orders for the “doctor’s bag” are unchanged. My colleagues and I have checked with several information sources and we understand that, without further amendments to the current Act, no extra external checks will be made as to the quantity ordered, or frequency of ordering, in this way.

Of course, doctors should be able to obtain the drugs they need in order to carry out their duties, but this seems to be another loophole that makes all of our extra work to prevent another Shipman case a waste of valuable time and effort.

Beverley Stephens
Gosport, Hampshire

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