Leyla Hannbeck, head of pharmacy at the National Pharmacy Association, discusses three topical queries

Question

I have a prescription for methadone mixture 1mg/1ml containing all the necessary details, except the prescriber's name. Is the prescription legal?

Answer

Yes. The Human Medicines Regulations 2012 do not state that the prescriber's name must be specified on a prescription for it to be legal. The prescriber details that need to be stated on a prescription are:

• Prescriber's signature (in indelible ink)
• Particulars to indicate the type of prescriber
• Prescriber's address

However, the pharmacist would need to be satisfied that the prescription had been written by a genuine prescriber, and if the signature is unknown to the pharmacist and/or unclear then it may be difficult for the pharmacist to do this. In addition, for schedule 2 controlled drug prescriptions, an entry in the CD register must be made including the prescriber’s details. If this is unclear from their signature this will be difficult to complete.

Question

Do I have to remove the labels from patient-returned waste medicines before they are placed in the controlled waste (DOOP) bin?

Answer

No. Patient-identifiable information such as labels do not have to be removed from waste medicines returned by patients before they are placed in the controlled waste (DOOP) bin. The "Terms of Service of NHS Pharmacists" in the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Services) Regulations 2013 only state that pharmacists should separate the different formulations of waste medicines from each other if required to do so by the NHS Commissioning Board or by the waste disposal contractor. The NHS England area team should have an arrangement in place to protect confidential information in the contract with the waste contractor.

Question

When does the 28 days validity of a prescription for a controlled drug (CD) begin?

Answer

Prescriptions for schedule 1, 2, 3 and 4 CDs are valid for 28 days from the appropriate date. This is either the date the prescription was signed by the prescriber or from a start date specified by the prescriber on the prescription. It is possible that the 28-day period may be specified to begin later than 28 days after the date of signing the prescription. For instalment dispensing prescriptions, the first instalment must be dispensed within 28 days of the appropriate date, after which the remainder of the instalments must be dispensed in accordance with the directions on the prescription.