> Of Philip S Hall >>The issue of hand written prescriptions is live in the UK. Regulations >>mandate that prescriptions controlled drugs are written by hand. > >I don't understand this. At my local surgery they always print the >prescriptions.
The handwriting requirement applies to drugs in schedules 1, 2 or 3 (e.g. morphine). It does not apply to schedule 4 or 5 drugs. Presumably your surgery does comply but you are not aware of it. Ask them next time. See: http://www.nlpct.nhs.uk/policies/docs/ClinicalPolicies/nursing/content/mars0 9.htm I found a more recent (28 July 2005) official reference: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs4/consultation_mdr_amendments_final_2807200 5.pdf "The initial start up costs required to invest in some of the additional safeguards proposed eg new IT software will be offset over time by savings in staff time released by for eg. relaxing the requirement for handwritten prescriptions and Controlled Drugs Registers and the new discretion for pharmacists to amend technical errors."
