controlled drug Flashcards
what is a controlled drug?
A drug that causes harm when misused
• Often have potential for abuse as a recreational drug
or for other purposes e.g. anabolic steroids in bodybuilding
Legislations
Medicines Act 1968
Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
- controls and prohibit - possession, export, import, supply and manufacture
- the drugs which are part of the misuse drug act is ‘cd’ and they are classed a,b,c depending on how harmful they are
The Health Act 2006
-role is to have overarching responsibility for supervising and managing the use of CDs in their organisation
Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) Regulations 1973
- control of storage
- must be - lockable by key , made by metal, be fixed to the floor or wall, have a nominated key holder who is responsible
schedule 1 CD
- E.g. LSD, ecstasy, mescaline, cannabis
- The majority of drugs in Schedule 1 have no recognised therapeutic use
- Generally limited to research – must hold a home office licence
• Practitioners may not lawfully possess these except under licence from
the Home Office
•Pharmacists cannot take possession of the material
except:
•For the purposes of destruction
•For the purpose of handing over to the police
•Under no circumstances return Schedule 1 drugs to a
patient at discharge
example schedule 2 controlled drugs
Diamorphine • Morphine • Methadone • Oxycodone • Major stimulants (amfetamines) • Quinalbarbitone • Ketamine
Schedule 2 and its standards
• Supply is restricted to licensed wholesalers, hospitals and pharmacies,
doctors and dentists acting in their professional capacity
• A licence is required to import or export
CD prescription requirements apply
- Safe custody (except quinalbarbitone) apply
- CD register for supplied (dispensing) and obtained (deliveries)
- Destruction – by appropriately authorised person with authorised witness and keep record
- Prescription valid for 28 days
- Emergency supplied NOT allowed
- Repeat prescribing NOT allowed
what are example schedule 3 drugs
buprenorphine, midazolam, phenobarbitone, temazepam, tramadol
standards for schedule 3 drugs - NO POM register
Subject to CD prescription writing requirements
• Most are exempt from safe custody requirements (except temazepam and
buprenorphine)
- No CD register record is needed
- Emergency supply is not allowed (except for phenobarbital for epilepsy)
- Repeat prescribing is not permitted
- Script is valid for 28 days
- Invoices must be retained for 2 years
- Subject to full import and export control
- The requirements relating to destruction do not apply
- New to this category (April 2019) is pregabalin and gabapentin
schedule 4 standards
Prescription writing as per POM requirements
- Exempt from safe custody and CD entry recording
- Script is valid for 28 days
- Subjected to full import and export control
- EEA (European Economic Area) and Swiss prescribers can legally prescribe
- Repeat prescriptions are allowed
- Emergency supplies are allowed (max of 5 days should be given)
• This schedule is split into:
• Part I (CD Benz POM), which contains most of the benzodiazepines (e.g. diazepam),
non-benzodiazepines (e.g. zolpidem, zopiclone) and Sativex® (a cannabinoid oral spray)
• Part II (CD Anab POM), which contains anabolic and androgenic steroids (e.g.
testosterone), clenbuterol and growth hormone
standards for schedule 5 drugs
Contains certain Schedule 2 CDs in low strengths (e.g. codeine, pholcodine
and morphine) which are exempt from full control
• Invoices must be kept for two years
• A practitioner, pharmacist or a person holding an appropriate licence may
manufacture or compound any schedule 5 substances
• Some are available OTC!
how much quantity should be supplied for controlled drugs
• The quantity prescribed should be appropriate for the
clinical need of the patient
• Schedule 2, 3 and 4 should be limited to 30 days supply
• This is good practice and not a legal requirement
– use your professional judgement, but prescribers should
justify why more than 30 days is needed in all cases
what are the CD prescription requirements?
- patients full name
- patients address
- drug name
- drug strength
- drug form
- drug dose
- total quantity words, as well as figures (twenty, 20 tablets)
- date - Valid for 28 days (6 months if Sch 5)
- prescribers name and address
- prescribers Signature
Prescriber identification number must be included
Good practice to keep a copy of the FP10PCD
• Good practice to keep a copy in POM register as well as in the CD register (CD reg is legal requirement)
what is the prescription for controlled drugs called
England – FP10PCD
•Wales – WP10PCD
•Scotland – PPCD (I)
- Private human Rx for Schedule 2 and 3 CDs must be written on the designated prescription form
- But not when CDs are issued and dispensed in private hospital
- Or issued by a vet (= private Rx)
what is the prescription for controlled drugs called
England – FP10PCD
•Wales – WP10PCD
•Scotland – PPCD (I)
- Private human Rx for Schedule 2 and 3 CDs must be written on the designated prescription form
- But not when CDs are issued and dispensed in private hospital
- Or issued by a vet (= private Rx)
where should the original Rx for sch 2 and 3 be submitted
relevant NHS agency along with a CD submission form
what are technical errors which can be amended by the pharmacist?
- Minor typographical errors or spelling mistakes
- The total quantity specified in either words or figures but not both
- contact prescriber to confirm the prescription verbally e.g. confirm
quantity
• After confirmation, pharmacist can amend the Rx. Must use indelible ink (pen, NOT pencil) on main body of script, and clearly show the amendments are made by them (name, sign, date and GPhC reg. no.)
Add pc (prescriber contacted) in the endorsement column on left hand side of prescription form
• All other amendments or omissions must be corrected by the original prescriber