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Private CD prescription verification — GPhC CRA MCQ

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ModeratePharmacy LawPrivate CD prescription verificationGPhC CRA

A patient brings in a private prescription for diazepam 5 mg tablets, 28 tablets. The prescription is written on headed notepaper by a prescriber the pharmacist does not recognise. What must the pharmacist verify before dispensing?

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Correct answer: B — The identity and prescribing authority of the prescriber, and that the prescription meets all legal requirements for a Schedule 4 Controlled Drug

Before dispensing a private prescription from an unfamiliar prescriber, the pharmacist has a professional and legal obligation to verify that the prescriber is a legitimate, registered healthcare professional authorised to prescribe. This can be checked through the GMC, GDC, or NMC registers. The prescription must meet all requirements for a Schedule 4 CD (diazepam is Schedule 4 Part I under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations). Private prescribers do not need to be NHS-registered. Patient photographic ID is not a legal requirement for Schedule 4 CDs.

Reference: Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001; GPhC Standards; HMR 2012