Some prescription medicines are controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. These medicines are called controlled medicines or controlled drugs. Your child may be prescribed controlled medicines for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

These stricter legal controls apply to controlled medicines to prevent them:

• being misused
• being obtained illegally
• causing harm.

A controlled medicines prescription is valid for 28-days, starting from the date the prescription was signed, unless the prescriber has specified a different start date on the prescription.

Collection of controlled medicine prescriptions

Colleting from the Community Paediatric Service

• Identification will be checked where there is any uncertainty about the identity of the person collecting the prescription and a signature will be required.
• Due to the strict regulations that apply, we are unable to send prescriptions via post.
• Please take the prescription directly to the pharmacy for dispensing or store securely until required - please note that the prescription is valid for a short period.
• Please report lost prescriptions to us as soon as possible.

Collecting your medicines from the pharmacy

You will be asked to sign the back of your prescription to confirm that you have received the medicine. If you ask someone else to collect the controlled medicine, they are legally required to show the pharmacist proof of your identity if asked. This could be photo-ID, driving licence or a credit or debit card for example. Pharmacists have the discretion to decide whether to ask for proof of identity and also whether to supply the controlled medicine.

Storage                                                                            

If you're prescribed a controlled medicine, it's particularly important that you:

• store your medicine properly and safely at home
• keep your medicine out of the sight and reach of children
• never share or give the medicine to anyone else.

Special requirements apply when destroying controlled medicines, so please return any unused controlled medicines to your local community pharmacy, who will dispose of them safely.

More information about controlled medicines can be found on www.nhs.uk and www.gov.uk has a full list of controlled medicines.