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