What kind of cabinet do controlled drugs need?

A purpose-made controlled drugs cabinet meeting the construction and fixing requirements of the Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) Regulations 1973, fixed to a solid wall or floor with concealed fixings. A domestic safe or lockable cupboard does not meet them.

Who should hold the controlled drugs key?

A named person on duty, carrying it rather than leaving it, with handover recorded at the end of a shift. A key left in a drawer or in a widely known coded box is the most common inspection finding.

How should the controlled drugs register be kept?

As a bound book kept at the premises, entries in ink and in chronological order, with a separate section per drug, form and strength, and a running balance that can be checked against physical stock.

How do I correct a mistake in the controlled drugs register?

With a dated marginal note or footnote, signed, leaving the original entry legible. Never use correction fluid or obliterate the entry, since an obscured entry looks like concealment whatever the intention.

Can controlled drugs go into normal pharmaceutical waste?

No. Destruction requirements depend on the schedule and the setting, often need an authorised witness, and usually involve denaturing so the drug is irretrievable. Confirm the process for your specific setting in writing.

Controlled Drugs Cabinet Requirements UK: Storage and Records

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Controlled drugs have to be kept in a locked receptacle that only authorised people can open. In practice that means a purpose-made steel cabinet, fixed to the structure of the building, with tightly controlled keys and a register that stands up to inspection.

What the cabinet has to be

The Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) Regulations 1973 set out construction and fixing requirements for the receptacle. A domestic safe, a lockable drawer or a cupboard with a padlock does not meet them, however sturdy it feels.

Purpose-made for controlled drugs storage, to the specification in the regulations
Fixed to a solid wall or floor, so it cannot be removed intact
Fixings concealed or otherwise not accessible when the door is closed
Used only for controlled drugs, not shared with other stock
Sized with headroom, because a cabinet packed to the door invites items being left out

Where a cabinet is being replaced or a new service set up, confirm the specification against the current regulations rather than matching whatever is already on the wall. Existing installations are not always compliant.

Keys are where it usually goes wrong

The cabinet is only as controlled as its key. The key should be held by a named person on duty, carried rather than left, and handed over deliberately at the end of a shift with that handover recorded.

A key kept in a drawer, on a hook, or in a coded box that most of the building knows the code to is the single most common finding. The cabinet is then a locked box that anyone can open, which is not what the regulations intend.

Two members of staff completing a controlled drugs register entry together, one writing and one witnessing

The register

Controlled drugs in the relevant schedules require a register. It has to be a bound book rather than loose sheets, kept at the premises, with entries made in chronological order and in ink.

A separate page or section per drug, form and strength
Entries made as soon as practicable, and in date order
No cancellations or obliterations: corrections are made as a dated marginal note or footnote, signed, leaving the original entry readable
A running balance that can be checked against the physical stock
Retained for the required period after the last entry

Balance checks

Check the running balance against physical stock regularly, and record that you did. Two people is the usual practice: one counts, one witnesses, both sign. A discrepancy found and recorded promptly is a manageable event. The same discrepancy found by someone else weeks later is not.

If a balance does not reconcile, escalate it rather than adjusting the register to match the shelf. The register is the record of what happened, not a stock-taking sheet.

Destruction and disposal

Controlled drugs cannot simply go into pharmaceutical waste. Destruction requirements depend on the schedule and the setting, and in many cases must be witnessed by an authorised person. Denaturing kits are used so the drug is rendered irretrievable before it enters the waste stream.

Get the process for your specific setting confirmed in writing, because it differs between a community pharmacy, a care home and a GP practice, and getting it wrong is a regulatory matter rather than a housekeeping one.

Practical points

Site the cabinet where a member of staff at it is not blocking a corridor or visible from a waiting area
Keep the register with the cabinet, not in an office down the corridor
Record key handovers as a matter of routine, not only when something goes wrong
Review who is authorised at least as often as staff change
Check your own policy and the current regulations together, since policy can be stricter but never looser

Frequently asked questions

What kind of cabinet do controlled drugs need?: A purpose-made controlled drugs cabinet meeting the construction and fixing requirements of the Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) Regulations 1973, fixed to a solid wall or floor with concealed fixings. A domestic safe or lockable cupboard does not meet them.
Who should hold the controlled drugs key?: A named person on duty, carrying it rather than leaving it, with handover recorded at the end of a shift. A key left in a drawer or in a widely known coded box is the most common inspection finding.
How should the controlled drugs register be kept?: As a bound book kept at the premises, entries in ink and in chronological order, with a separate section per drug, form and strength, and a running balance that can be checked against physical stock.
How do I correct a mistake in the controlled drugs register?: With a dated marginal note or footnote, signed, leaving the original entry legible. Never use correction fluid or obliterate the entry, since an obscured entry looks like concealment whatever the intention.
Can controlled drugs go into normal pharmaceutical waste?: No. Destruction requirements depend on the schedule and the setting, often need an authorised witness, and usually involve denaturing so the drug is irretrievable. Confirm the process for your specific setting in writing.

All resources

Controlled Drugs Cabinets: What UK Storage Requires

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