What is a controlled drug?
These are medications that are regulated by the government
This is usually because they are at higher risk of causing harm (such as dependence or misuse) if they are used inappropriately
As a practice we have legal and clinical requirements to fulfil with regards to their prescription
The prescribing of these medications is different than the prescribing of other medications that are prescribed by us
Am I taking a Controlled Drug?
Commonly used controlled drugs are
- Tramadol
- Morphine
- Oxycodone
- Buprenorphine (often as butec patches)
- Pregabalin and gabapentin
- Zopiclone
For a list of controlled drugs please see the following; Controlled drugs list - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Prescribing controlled drugs is the decision of the prescriber and occasionally a prescriber may choose to deviate from what is written below
This may mean that they decline a prescription or issue an altered course
There will be clinical reasons for this and we ask that this can be respected
Length of prescription
It is a good practice requirement (advised by CQC, the department of health and the GMC) that the prescribed quantity of controlled medications are limited to 30 days
This is the maximum length that we are willing to put on a repeat prescription
Occasionally we will reduce the length of this prescription to less than this
Ordering Requirements
We will not issue a controlled drug that is requested more than 3 days before it is due
In exceptional circumstances an appointment with a clinician to discuss this may be needed
Reviews
We ask for regular reviews of these medications to ensure that you are taking a medication that is benefitting you and not harming you
When requesting a review we ask that this can be made prior to the next prescription request
Review time periods range from 1-12 months
If review appointments are not made we may;
- Refuse to issue medications
- Reduce the amount of a medication that is issued
Stolen Medications
If your controlled medications are stolen please contact the police to inform them
We will need a crime number before we will issue further medications
Lost medications
If your controlled medications are lost and you require these to be reissued you will require a GP appointment to discuss this
Travelling with Controlled Drugs
We appreciate that it may be necessary to travel with controlled drugs for more than 30 days. The Care Quality Commission advise us that;
‘In exceptional circumstances, where the prescriber considers more than 30 days is clinically indicated and would not pose an unacceptable risk to patient safety, a record of the reasons for deviating from the guidance should be made in the patient’s record and the prescriber should be able to justify the decision, if challenged’.
If you require more than 30 days supply of a controlled drug you will need to make an appointment to discuss this
We would advise arranging this appointment within plenty of time from your travel dates to ensure this can be arranged.
Travelling with medicine containing controlled drugs - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
References
https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-providers/gps/gp-mythbusters/gp-mythbuster-28-management-controlled-drugs (accessed 15/4/24)