Medicine security
pharmacy checklist
A checklist for each main pharmacy and
associated pharmacy departments
Tackling fraud and managing security
Name of Pharmacy site/location _______________________________________
Recommended measures within pharmacy
Yes
No
N/A
1. Is there a process in place for the ordering of all medicine stock at
this site/location?
2. Does the system have safeguards, which ensure that only
authorised individuals order medicines?
3. Is there a process in place for the receipt of all medicine stock at
this site/location?
1. Ordering, delivery and receipt of medicines
4. Is there a record of all staff who are authorised to order and
receive medicines?
5. Is there a policy that the same member of pharmacy staff cannot
order and receive medicines?
6. Is there a process in place for the review and validation of
authorised signatories for those staff that can order medicines?
7. Where electronic ordering systems are in use, are safeguards in
place to prevent security breaches such as entries being altered at
a later date?
8. Where a paper-based ordering system is used, are safeguards in
place to prevent unauthorised access to ordering stationery and
records?
9. Is there a policy that the same member of ward staff cannot order
and collect medicines from pharmacy?
10. Is there a process in place to enable staff to verify the identity and
authorisation of individuals accepting receipt of medicines?
11. Are measures in place for the secure storage of stationery used to
order, return or distribute medicines?
12. Are there security procedures and measures in place for the
secure transport of medicines between main pharmacy and stores
to wards and departments?
13. Is there a policy for staff to follow for the transport of medicines to
external sites?
14. Are staff required to document information (such as the vehicle
registration, valid company ID) when medicines are conveyed by a
commercial courier or taxi driver?
15. Are the security procedures and measures for the transport of
medicines audited to ensure compliance?
16. Are all relevant staff trained on the security measures to be taken
when medicines are delivered to other departments/wards?
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Recommended measures within pharmacy
Yes
No
N/A
17. Is there a process in place for dealing with discrepancies in
medicines orders received?
18. Does the ordering system allow all data entered to be reported
upon for audit purposes?
2. Access to
medicines
19. Is access to the pharmacy department controlled (to persons with
legitimate right of entry)?
20. Where they are securely stored, are keys providing access to
medicines only available to authorised staff?
21. Where PIN codes are used as part of the access control system,
are codes to the doors changed on a regular basis1?
22. Are physical security measures (alarms, lighting, access controls)
regularly maintained and tested?
3. Stock Checks
23. Are medicine stocks checks carried out by the pharmacy team on
a regular basis in wards?
24. Are medicine stocks checks carried out by the pharmacy team on
a regular basis in main pharmacy and associated pharmacy
departments?
25. Are independent medicine audits/stock checks undertaken on a
regular basis in main pharmacy and associated pharmacy
departments?
26. Is there a SOP for the management of medicine stock during short
and long term ward/department closure?
4. Waste
27. Is there a process in place for staff to follow when unaccounted for
losses in medicine stocks are identified?
28. Are out-of-date medicines and any stock no longer required
securely stored until they are safely destroyed?
29. Is there a SOP in place for disposal of unwanted/out-of-date
medicines (patients’ own and stock)?
General:
Use this area to report on any other areas of security risks and to provide further
information on any of the numbered responses.
1
Regular basis: at intervals of sufficient frequency to ensure that discrepancies can be identified in a timely way. The frequency of such
checks should be determined locally after a risk assessment has been undertaken.
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Assessment carried out by
Job title
Date of assessment
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