Further changes to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001
Pharmacists are advised that further changes to the Misuse of Drugs
Regulations 2001 have been made.
The amendments, which came into force on 1 September, delay the implementation
date for two new record keeping requirements for the supply of Schedule
2 Controlled Drugs (CDs) from 1 January 2007 until 1 January 2008. A
requirement to record in the CD register whether the person collecting
a Schedule 2 CD is the patient, the patient’s representative or
a health care professional will not come into force until 1 January 2008.
Similarly, requirements to record whether evidence of the patient or
their representative’s identity was provided and to record the
name and address of the health care professional collecting the Schedule
2 CD will not come into force until 1 January 2008.
Although the implementation date for these record-keeping requirements
has been delayed, pharmacists are reminded that they must currently ascertain
whether the person collecting a Schedule 2 CD supplied against a prescription
is the patient, the patient’s representative or a health care professional
acting in their capacity as such (please see PDF (200K)
for further details).
The amendments to the Regulations have also clarified that a Controlled
Drug prescription issued by a veterinary surgeon or veterinary practitioner
for the purposes of animal treatment does not need to be on a standardised
private prescription form, neither does the prescription need to have
a prescriber identification number on it in order to be dispensed. The
prescribing of CDs for the purposes of animal treatment continues as
it has previously and veterinary prescriptions should continue to be
retained on the premises from which they are supplied for a period of
two years from the date of supply.
Finally, the requirement for pharmacists to retain private prescriptions
for Controlled Drugs in Schedules 1 to 3 on the pharmacy premises for
two years has been removed for prescriptions other than veterinary prescriptions.
However, pharmacists remain unable to send the original private prescription
forms to the relevant NHS agency until corresponding changes are made
to the Medicines (Sale or Supply) (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations
1980. Until notified, pharmacists are advised to continue to retain the
standardised private prescription form and send a copy to the relevant
NHS agency. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal