How to stay compliant when prescribing controlled drugs privately

If you prescribe controlled drugs in private practice, you’ll already know the rules are tight. And with good reason.

These medicines can be life-changing when used properly, but carry real risks if things go wrong. The challenge for doctors is that the admin can sometimes feel never-ending. Miss a detail and the pharmacy can’t dispense. Get the paperwork wrong and you’re suddenly spending hours fixing avoidable issues.

That’s why more and more UK doctors are turning to Healistic, a platform that takes the headache out of private prescribing. With it, you can issue compliant prescriptions in under a minute and have medication delivered straight to your patient’s door.

Why compliance matters

Compliance isn’t just about box-ticking. It’s about protecting your patients, protecting your licence and protecting your practice.

The law (mainly the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001) makes it crystal clear that controlled drugs need to be handled differently.

Schedule 2 and 3 medicines, like morphine, oxycodone, stimulants and certain benzodiazepines, sit right at the sharp end of those rules. Prescribe them privately and you need to be on top of the paperwork every single time.

What a compliant prescription looks like with controlled drugs

Here’s the tricky part. A prescription for a controlled drug has to include very specific details. Your UK address, the patient’s details, the form and strength of the medicine and the quantity, written in words and figures. The dose needs to be absolutely clear too.

“Take one tablet twice a day” works. “As directed” doesn’t.

Private prescriptions for controlled drugs must also be written on an FP10PCD form, and they’re only valid for 28 days.

As a rule of thumb, try not to prescribe more than 30 days’ worth at a time unless there’s a clear clinical reason, and make sure that reason is noted in the patient’s record.

The right forms for controlled drug prescriptions

When you’re writing for patients, it’s the FP10PCD. If you’re ordering stock, it’s the FP10CDF requisition form. Both need to be submitted to NHSBSA every month.

And one important detail that often catches doctors out: you can’t put other medicines on the same form as a controlled drug.

Security and record keeping

This bit might not be glamorous, but it’s important. Blank prescriptions must be locked away, never pre-signed and ideally logged so you know which ones you’ve received and used.

If you make a mistake, don’t try to fudge it. Cross it out, spoil the form and start again. Pharmacies will keep controlled drug prescriptions for two years, but you’ll also want to keep your own records in order.

Common mistakes to avoid when prescribing controlled drugs

A lot of compliance issues come down to small errors that are easy to fix. Forgetting to write the quantity in both words and figures, missing the patient’s full address, or leaving the dose too vague are all reasons a pharmacy may reject a prescription.

Another common slip is prescribing more than 30 days without documenting why. By slowing down and double-checking those details, you’ll save yourself and your patient unnecessary delays.

Talking to patients about dependence on controlled drugs

Many of the medicines in Schedules 2 and 3 come with a risk of dependence.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prescribe them, but it does mean you need to have an honest conversation with your patient.

A good approach is to agree a treatment plan together. For example, a patient might need diazepam for anxiety.

Instead of giving them two months straight away, you could prescribe two weeks, book a review and then decide how to continue. It keeps them safe, and it shows you’re prescribing responsibly.

Dispensing and collection

If you’re prescribing methadone or similar, instalment dispensing is allowed, but your prescription has to be clear on the dose, the amount and the interval.

Patients or their representatives must sign for Schedule 2 and 3 medicines when collecting them, so factor that into your conversations too.

Delivery and logistics of controlled drugs

Controlled drugs need to be transported securely, with a full audit trail. Any losses or thefts must be reported to the Home Office and the police straight away.

With Healistic, you don’t need to worry about the logistics. You issue the prescription securely online, our partner pharmacies dispense it and the patient gets their medication delivered. In London, that can be as fast as two hours, and it’s usually within 24 hours everywhere else in the UK. Everything is tracked and fully compliant.

Protecting patient data

GDPR and data security are just as important as prescription compliance.

Patient details need to be encrypted and only seen by the right people. That’s another reason doctors use Healistic, our cloud-based system keeps everything secure and avoids the risks that come with paper forms.

Staying up to date with controlled drug regulations

Controlled drug regulations don’t stand still. Changes to forms, submission processes, or schedules can and do happen. It’s important to keep an eye on updates from the Home Office, NHSBSA, and the GMC.

Using a digital prescribing system helps here too, Healistic keeps everything updated in the background so you’re always prescribing within the latest rules.

Controlling controlled drugs

Prescribing controlled drugs privately can feel like a balancing act.

On one hand, you want to give patients quick access to the medicines they need. On the other, you need to stay on the right side of strict UK laws. The key is to follow the rules on prescription writing, keep your records tidy, and talk openly with patients about risks and reviews.

And if you want to make life easier, let technology do the heavy lifting.

Healistic takes care of the admin so you can focus on your patients, not the paperwork.

Get in touch with the team for a free demo today!