Fraudulent prescriptions

A forged or fraudulent prescription can be a genuine prescription form

which:
WHAT IS A FORGED OR FRAUDULENT • Has been stolen
• Has been altered by someone other than an authorised prescriber
PRESCRIPTION?
(For example to increase the quantity or dose, or add additional items)
• Is not signed by an authorised prescriber or it could be a fake
prescription form.

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR ………..

The colours of legitimate forms are deliberately hard to copy, so a fake one tends
COLOUR OF THE PRESCRIPTION FORM
to stand out.

All prescription forms have serial numbers. An alert may have been issued to look out for prescriptions with
SERIAL NUMBERS particular numbers. You can also check with NHS Prescription Services’ Compliance Unit to find out if a
prescription is from a batch reported missing.

Remember the time intervals within which prescriptions must be presented for dispensing.
DATE PRESCRIPTION ISSUED There may be a genuine reason for having an old but still valid prescription but if so the customer will tell you.

You know the surgeries from which you normally get prescriptions. Some areas may see more out of town
ADDRESS OF PRESCRIBER
prescribers e.g. holiday areas. However bear in mind that the prescription may have been stolen.

Alterations that have been seen include: • Overwriting both printed and handwritten items on prescriptions
• Overwriting the prescriber’s signature
• Use of amateur type-setting kits to print onto stolen prescriptions
ALTERATIONS OR ADDITIONS
Does the handwriting match hand-written scripts from that prescriber that you’ve seen previously? Is the spacing
sensible?
Are the drug names spelt correctly and are the quantities and directions logical?
You tend to know the signatures of the prescribers local to the pharmacy. If the signature is not known and you are
concerned, do you have another example of it in the current month’s prescriptions?
SIGNATURE There have been cases where an amendment was made to a prescription and the person who did it then initialled the
amendment to make it look like the GP had made the change. If you are unsure about a prescription contact the prescriber.

Turn over for what to do if you are presented with a forged or fraudulent prescription
What to do if you are presented with a forged or fraudulent prescription
DO NOT PLACE YOURSELF OR A COLLEAGUE IN DANGER AT ANY TIME
If threatened, or if you believe that the person may become violent, then telephone the police as soon as you can on 999.
DO NOT DISPENSE You should not dispense the medication but keep the prescription – be careful not to give the person a chance to snatch it back!

Inform the patient that you can’t dispense the prescription immediately, and ask them to either wait or return later (if possible, ask them to say when they
STALL FOR TIME
will return). Delaying tactics to try include; lack of stock, lunchtime closure or backlog of work.

CHECK WITH THE Telephone the prescriber to confirm whether the prescription has indeed been forged. Use a published telephone number rather than any number given on
PRESCRIBER the suspect prescription unless you are sure it is correct.

If the person who presented the prescription is waiting in the pharmacy, or is expected to return shortly, call the police on 999, explain the situation and ask
CALL THE POLICE them to attend immediately. If it is not known when the person may return, or they are to return another day, telephone the police on 101 and report the
crime. In either case, obtain a crime reference number from the police.

If your pharmacy is part of a larger store which has security staff, arrange for a member of security staff to come to the pharmacy (straight away, if the
GET BACK-UP
person is waiting, or in advance of the time that the person is expected to return).

If the patient returns later, if possible ask them to wait (using the delaying tactics above) and contact the police on 999 as above. If that is not possible, say
IF THE PATIENT COMES
that you are unable to dispense the prescription because you believe it may not be genuine/ may have been altered, and that the police have been informed.
BACK LATER
If nothing else, this may deter them from attempting to use any other stolen prescriptions they may have.

Provide details of the incident, the prescription, the prescriber and the prescription number. This is so that the origin of the prescription can be traced, and
an alert circulated in case other stolen prescriptions are presented to other pharmacies.
TELL NHS ENGLAND Derbyshire Pharmacies contact 01138 251854 or email [email protected]
Nottinghamshire Pharmacies contact 01138 251854 or email [email protected]
Shropshire and Staffordshire Pharmacies contact 0113 8254 630 or email [email protected]

TELL NHS PROTECT If you have already notified the police, advise NHS Protect of the crime reference number and of the name, number and station of the police officer dealing
(COUNTER FRAUD) with the case. NHS Protect can be contacted on 0800 028 4060 or via www.reportnhsfraud.co.uk

Record all the details, including a description of the person, and make a note of any telephone conversations. If there would have been any CCTV footage of
the person presenting the prescription or when they returned to the pharmacy later, retain and quarantine this footage so that it can be provided to the
KEEP A RECORD
Police or NHS Protect investigators at a later stage. If the police or NHS Protect investigators wish to take the original prescription away as evidence, retain a
copy in the pharmacy.
A pharmacy which identifies a forged prescription can claim a Reward Payment under Part XIVA of the Drug Tariff. To claim this payment, call 0800 0686161
CLAIM THE REWARDS
or 0191 2046300 within 7 days of the incident. You will be sent a claim form but a claim can only be made if the prescription has been retained.
NHS England North Midlands Controlled Drugs Team Contact Details: The Controlled Drugs Accountable Officer for NHS England North Midlands is Samantha Travis, [email protected]
The Accountable Officer is supported by: Selina Utting, Assistant to CDAO, Tel: 0113 8255479, [email protected]
Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire: Margaret Farrow-Johnson Controlled Drugs Support Officer, Tel: 01138 249774 [email protected]
Shropshire & Staffordshire: Eleanor Carnegie Controlled Drugs Support Officer, Tel: 0113 8254630, [email protected]