Control drugs prescription (CD Rx)

Why all the fuss about CD Rx?

If you ever have to obtain medicines that belonged toa class schedule called controlled drugs, the doctors will have to write a special prescription called CD prescription. Such prescriptions require more stringent criteria to ensure their authenticity and to prevent forgery as spelled out by the Misuse of Drug Regulation.

The filling of a CD Rx may be a tedious process which involves verifying the signature, and collecting the CD from behind a double-locked cupboard as specified by the law. Furthermore, the elements of the CD are different from a usual Rx and the pharmacists must make sure that all of them are fulfilled before giving out the medication.

Unfortunately, sometimes the CD Rx written by legitimate doctors may miss out some essential elements and the pharmacists may refuse to fill such prescriptions. In such times, the patients are often asked to go back to the Doctor to fill in the required details that have been missed out.

The patients may not even know the strict requirements of the CD Rx and having going back to the doctor for such a situation is tiring. This creates more trouble for patients who are already spend a lot of time waiting at both the clinics and the pharmacy.

To prevent yourself from being in such a situation, you as a consumer can educate yourself about the requirements of a CD Rx and ensure that the piece of paper called the CD prescription fulfilled all the strict requirements before you leave the Doctor’s clinic.

Requirements of CD prescription

All the following essential details must be fulfilled:

•  Written in ink and in the prescriber’s own handwriting
•  Name and address of the patient
•  Name and place of practice of the prescriber
•  Date of prescribing (only valid if filled within 30 days from the date of prescribing)
•  The controlled drug to be taken and the following details:

1.      Dose to be taken

2.      The Correct dosage form of the CD (i.e. tablets, capsules, etc.)

3.      The strength of the CD preparation (10 mg, 30 mg etc)

4.      Total quantity (in both words and figures) of the preparation, OR the number of dosage units (in both words and figures)

•      If prescribed by either a dentist or a veterinary surgeon, must spell out “For dental treatment only” or  “For animal treatment only” respectively
•      Signature of prescriber (Must be a signature that has been validated, if not, the sample of signature of the doctor must be faxed back to the pharmacy)

Some common CDs in Singapore that require a CD prescriptions

Fentanyl (Durogesic®) 12,25, 50 mcg/hr Patch

Methylphenidate (Ritalin®) 10mg Tablet or 20 mg LA Capsule

Methylphenidate (Concerta®) 18mg, 27 mg, 36 mg XR Tablet

Morphine 10 mg, 30 mg SR Tablet or 10 mg/ml Injection

Oxycodone (Oxynorm®) 5mg Capsule

Oxycodone (Oxycontin®) 10mg SR Tablet

Pethidine 50mg/mL Injection

Cocaine 10% (2mL) Solution

For more CDs available in Singapore, check out Health Science Authority website

Example of a legal CD precription

		Tan Ah Kiao Block 1, #01-01 Toa Payoh Lorong1 Singapore 123456
PO morphine 30mg q12h To supply a total of 60 (sixty) morphine 30mg SR tablets.
John Lin Signature Doctor John Lin (MCR 12345X)	Caring Clinic 1 Upper Bukit Timah Singapore 123456	Date: 1 Jan 2011

All the preceding details must be handwritten