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Controlled drug prescription

Authoring team

From Monday 14th November 2005 you are required to ensure that all prescriptions for controlled drugs:

  • are written indelibly
  • be in ink or otherwise indelible
  • be signed in the prescriber's own handwriting and dated (NB date does not have to be handwritten)
  • specify the prescriber's address
  • state the name and address of the patient (and age if under 12 years) (2,3)
  • state the name and form of the drug (e.g. capsules), even if only one form exists
  • state the strength of the preparation, where more than one strength is available
  • state the dose
  • state the total quantity of the preparation, or the number of dose units, in both words and figures (except for temazepam)
  • if issued by a dentist, state the words 'for dental treatment only'.

Note that all details, except for the signature, no longer have to be handwritten.

Reference:

  1. Letter from Head of Medicines Management Coventry PCT (November 14th 2005). Requirement to handwrite CD prescriptions abolished
  2. National Prescribing Centre (December 2005). A guide to good practice in the management of controlled drugs in primary care (England)
  3. MeReC Extra (January 2006):20:2.

 


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