Category: Pharmacy premises standards

Learn about legal requirements for pharmacy premises, including registration, inspection, GPhC standards, and maintaining compliance.

Controlled drugs Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines Pharmacist and technician responsibilities Pharmacy premises standards Record-keeping requirements Safe dispensing practices

Supply or Collection of Medicines by Children

Pharmacists may be asked to supply or hand over medicines to a child or young person, either:

There is no absolute legal prohibition on a child collecting medicines. However, the decision to supply must be made using professional judgement, taking into account medicines legislation and regulatory standards.

Under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, medicines may be supplied to a patient or their representative.

Pharmacist and technician responsibilities Pharmacy premises standards Safe dispensing practices

Child-Resistant Containers (CRCs)

Child-resistant containers (CRCs) are a key safety measure designed to reduce the risk of accidental poisoning in children. In community pharmacy practice, there is a strong expectation that medicines are supplied in suitable child-resistant packaging unless there is a valid reason not to do so.

Under UK law, the requirement for child-resistant packaging primarily arises from:

These regulations require that certain medicines are supplied in child-resistant containers where appropriate, particularly where there is a risk of harm if ingested by a child.

Controlled drugs Pharmacist and technician responsibilities Pharmacy inspections and enforcement Pharmacy premises standards

Secure environments

Secure environments include prisons, police custody suites, secure hospitals, immigration removal centres, and other places where individuals are detained. These settings present unique legal and operational considerations because they sit at the intersection of healthcare law, custodial law, and medicines legislation.

UK medicines legislation (e.g. the Human Medicines Regulations 2012) does not always explicitly refer to these environments. In practice, pharmacy services must apply principles from primary care or secondary care, depending on the context, while remaining within the relevant legal framework.

Where medicines are dispensed from an in-house prison pharmacy for administration or supply to patients within the same prison:

Controlled drugs Pharmacist and technician responsibilities Pharmacy premises standards

Safe Custody of Controlled Drugs

The Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) Regulations 1973 set legal standards for how certain Controlled Drugs (CDs) must be stored to prevent unauthorised access. This article outlines what is required by law, what is best practice, and how to manage CD storage in pharmacies, hospitals, and secure environments.

Safe custody refers to the physical security of CDs. Certain CDs must be stored in a locked safe, cabinet, or room that complies with security standards designed to prevent unauthorised access.

The requirement applies to: