Category: Record-keeping requirements

Explore the legal obligations for maintaining records, including controlled drugs, private prescriptions, and patient medication records.

Controlled drugs Pharmacy inspections and enforcement Pharmacy premises standards Record-keeping requirements

Minimum legal retention periods for pharmacy records

Pharmacies create and retain many different records, including prescriptions, patient medication records, controlled drug registers, responsible pharmacist records, clinical service records, invoices, SOPs and records of interventions.

Not every pharmacy record has a specific statutory retention period.

This article identifies records for which primary legislation expressly establishes a minimum retention period. It does not include periods based solely on professional guidance, NHS policy, contractual requirements, limitation periods or recommended practice.

Controlled drugs Pharmacist and technician responsibilities Pharmacy inspections and enforcement Pharmacy premises standards Record-keeping requirements Safe dispensing practices

Can a pharmacist prescribe and dispense the same medicine?

Pharmacist independent prescribers increasingly provide services in which they assess a patient, prescribe a medicine and arrange for it to be dispensed or supplied from the same pharmacy.

In some services, the pharmacist prescriber may personally undertake every stage. They may assess the patient, make the prescribing decision, generate the prescription, clinically check it, dispense or accuracy-check the medicine and then supply or administer it.

UK medicines legislation does not establish a general requirement that prescribing and dispensing must be undertaken by different healthcare professionals. A pharmacist may therefore prescribe and dispense or supply the same medicine, provided that each activity is lawful and the service is delivered safely.

Patient group directions (PGDs) Record-keeping requirements

Supplying POMs on Presentation of a Signed Order (Schedule 17 Exemptions)

In limited circumstances, a pharmacy may supply certain prescription-only medicines (POMs) without a prescription, where a signed order is presented by a specified healthcare professional.

This is a specific statutory exemption under Schedule 17 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1916/schedule/17/made

Controlled drugs Emergency supply of medicines Patient group directions (PGDs) Pharmacist and technician responsibilities Record-keeping requirements

Emergency Supply of Medicines

Emergency supply allows a pharmacist to provide a medicine without a prescription in defined circumstances. It is a statutory exemption under UK medicines law and is commonly used in community pharmacy to ensure continuity of care.

Emergency supply is governed by the Human Medicines Regulations 2012:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1916/contents

Handling complaints and patient safety Pharmacist and technician responsibilities Pharmacy premises standards Record-keeping requirements Safe dispensing practices

Dispensing Errors and Near Misses

Dispensing errors and near misses are an inherent risk within pharmacy practice. Managing these incidents appropriately is essential to protect patients, maintain public trust, and comply with legal and professional requirements.

Pharmacists and pharmacy teams must operate within a culture of openness, learning, and continuous improvement, ensuring that errors are addressed promptly and used to strengthen systems of care.

A dispensing error occurs when a medicine is supplied to a patient that is:

Controlled drugs Handling complaints and patient safety Pharmacist and technician responsibilities Pharmacy inspections and enforcement Pharmacy premises standards Record-keeping requirements Remote and online pharmacy services Safe dispensing practices

Online Pharmacies and Remote Prescribing

The growth of online prescribing and distance-selling pharmacy services has introduced significant risks around the safe and appropriate supply of medicines. In response, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has strengthened its regulatory expectations for pharmacies operating remotely, particularly where prescribing is carried out online.

Pharmacy owners, superintendent pharmacists, and responsible pharmacists must ensure that any supply made through an online model meets both legal requirements and professional standards.

Registered pharmacies in Great Britain are regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council under the Pharmacy Order 2010, which gives the GPhC enforcement powers over pharmacy owners, superintendent pharmacists, and pharmacy professionals.

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 Poisons and hazardous substances Record-keeping requirements

Requests for poisons and chemicals

Amendments to the Poisons Act 1972 and subsequent regulations have changed how poisons and certain chemicals are classified and regulated in the United Kingdom.

Pharmacies that supply regulated poisons or certain chemicals must comply with legal requirements relating to licensing, record keeping, and reporting suspicious activity.

The main legislation governing the sale and supply of poisons is the Poisons Act 1972 and the Poisons Regulations 2015.

Medicines licensing Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines Pharmacist and technician responsibilities Record-keeping requirements Safe dispensing practices

Pharmacy medicines (P)

Pharmacy medicines (P medicines) are medicinal products that may be sold or supplied only from registered pharmacy premises and only under the supervision of a pharmacist.

The legal classification, supply restrictions and supervision requirements for P medicines are set out in the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.

Under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, a pharmacy medicine is a medicinal product that:

Prescription requirements Record-keeping requirements Wholesaling

Signed orders and records for POM supplies

When a prescription only medicine (POM) is supplied from a registered pharmacy otherwise than in accordance with a prescription (for example, to healthcare professionals or organisations), the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 impose specific record-keeping requirements.

These requirements differ depending on:

Under regulation 253 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, where a POM is sold or supplied otherwise than in accordance with a prescription, the supply must be recorded unless a specific exemption applies.