Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
- A condition affecting attention, activity levels and impulse control, sometimes treated with stimulant medicines.
- Annotated independent-prescriber qualification
- A formal note on a nurse's or pharmacist's professional register confirming they are trained and authorised to prescribe medicines in their own right.
- Atomoxetine
- A non-stimulant medicine used to treat ADHD; it is not a controlled drug.
- Blood-borne virus (BBV)
- An infection such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV that can be passed on through blood.
- Caldicott Guardian
- The senior person responsible for protecting the confidentiality of people's health and care information.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Contemporaneous record
- A record written at the time of, or immediately after, the event it describes, so it is accurate and reliable.
- Controlled drug (CD)
- A medicine whose supply, storage and records are tightly restricted by law because of its potential for misuse.
- Controlled Drugs Accountable Officer (CDAO)
- The named senior person responsible for the safe and effective management and use of controlled drugs in an organisation.
- Controlled-drug register
- The legally required book or electronic record showing every controlled drug received, supplied, used and destroyed, with running balances.
- Cross-border dispensing
- A pharmacy in one nation of the United Kingdom dispensing a prescription written under the rules of another, which is not always permitted.
- Data Protection Act 2018
- The UK law that sets the rules for how organisations collect, store and use people's personal information.
- Dexamfetamine
- A stimulant medicine licensed to treat ADHD; it is a Schedule 2 controlled drug.
- Diamorphine
- A strong opioid painkiller (medical heroin) and a Schedule 2 controlled drug, mentioned here only as an example.
- Diversion
- When a prescribed controlled drug is redirected away from the patient it was meant for, towards illegal use or supply.
- Dosage unit
- A single countable amount of a medicine, such as one tablet or one capsule.
- FP10PCD
- The standardised, individually numbered form used in England to write a private prescription for a Schedule 2 or 3 controlled drug.
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- The body that registers and sets standards for doctors in the United Kingdom.
- General practitioner (GP)
- A family doctor who provides general medical care in the community.
- Guanfacine
- A non-stimulant medicine used to treat ADHD; it is not a controlled drug.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The regulations setting the fundamental standards that registered health and care providers in England must meet.
- Home Office licence
- Permission from the government department responsible for drugs policy, needed to possess the most tightly controlled drugs.
- Human Medicines Regulations 2012
- The main UK law governing how medicines are licensed, prescribed and supplied.
- Immediate-release
- A medicine formulation that releases its full dose quickly after it is taken.
- Indelible ink
- Permanent ink that cannot easily be erased or altered, required for signing controlled-drug prescriptions.
- Independent prescriber
- A registered professional authorised to assess patients and prescribe medicines on their own responsibility.
- Lisdexamfetamine
- A stimulant medicine licensed to treat ADHD; it is a Schedule 2 controlled drug and is turned into dexamfetamine by the body.
- Local intelligence network
- An arrangement through which organisations and regulators share information about concerns relating to controlled drugs.
- Mandatory particulars
- The details the law requires on a controlled-drug prescription before it is valid and can be dispensed.
- Methylphenidate
- A stimulant medicine licensed to treat ADHD; it is a Schedule 2 controlled drug.
- Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
- The main UK law that controls dangerous or harmful drugs and classifies them by their potential for misuse.
- Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001
- The regulations that sort controlled drugs into Schedules and set the rules for prescribing, recording and storing them.
- Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) Regulations 1973
- The law setting out how certain controlled drugs must be securely stored, for example in an approved locked cabinet.
- Modified-release
- A medicine formulation designed to release its dose slowly over time, so it works for longer.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
- The independent body that produces evidence-based guidance on treatments and care for use across the United Kingdom.
- Near miss
- An event that could have caused harm but did not, by chance or because it was caught in time.
- NICE guideline NG87
- The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline on diagnosing and managing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
- Non-medical prescriber
- A trained professional who is not a doctor, such as a nurse or pharmacist, authorised to prescribe medicines.
- Patient Group Direction (PGD)
- A written instruction letting named staff supply or give a medicine without an individual prescription; it cannot be used for ADHD stimulants.
- Prescription stationery
- The blank prescription forms and related printing materials used to issue prescriptions, which must be kept secure.
- Private prescriber identification number
- A unique number a prescriber must hold and put on private controlled-drug prescriptions; it is different from their professional registration number.
- Prodrug
- A medicine that is inactive when taken and is converted by the body into the active drug.
- Regulated activity
- A type of care or treatment the law requires a provider to register with the regulator to deliver.
- Registered Manager
- The person registered with the regulator as responsible for the day-to-day running of a service.
- Regulation 12 (Safe care and treatment)
- The fundamental standard requiring care and treatment to be provided safely, including the safe management of medicines.
- Regulation 17 (Good governance)
- The fundamental standard requiring providers to have effective systems to monitor, assess and improve the quality and safety of care.
- Safe custody
- The legal requirement to store certain controlled drugs securely so they cannot be lost, stolen or misused.
- Safeguarding
- Protecting people's health, wellbeing and rights and keeping them safe from abuse, harm or neglect.
- Schedule (controlled drugs)
- One of five legal categories (1 to 5) that set how tightly a controlled drug is regulated, based on its medicinal use and misuse risk.
- Shared care
- An arrangement where responsibility for a patient's treatment is formally divided between two providers, such as a specialist and a family doctor.
- Smartcard
- A secure personal card used to log in to clinical systems and confirm a user's identity.
- Standard operating procedure (SOP)
- A written step-by-step instruction setting out how a task should be carried out consistently and safely.
- Stimulant
- A type of medicine that increases certain brain activity and is used to treat ADHD; the ones used are controlled drugs.
- Titrate
- To adjust the dose of a medicine gradually until the right balance of benefit and side effects is reached.
- UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
- The UK's main data-protection law governing how personal information is collected and used.