August 7th 2025

By Ailsa Colquhoun

Pharmacy regulator issues medicines anti-diversion guidance

Pharmacy regulator the General Pharmaceutical Council has issued guidance on safeguards to prevent diversion of medicines from registered pharmacies.

Diversion is said to occur when medicines have been ordered and stolen by members of staff. Such medicines may include prescription-only-medicines that are liable to misuse, or have high monetary value, such as medicines used for weight management

Safeguards can be put in place at different stages of the dispensary operation: 

Ordering stock

Examples include:

• maintain records showing who transmitted each order
• install alert systems on the pharmacy computer to highlight any unusual ordering.

Handling deliveries

Examples include:

• maintain records showing who handled each wholesale delivery
• use a dedicated area of the pharmacy, monitored by CCTV, to process all stock deliveries.

Stock security 

Examples include:

• regular checks of CD running balances
• identify specific medicines as ‘high-risk’ for diversion and storing them in locked cupboards with secure key control.

Staff support 

Examples include:

• provide specific training about handling stock orders and the risks of diversion
• have a robust whistleblowing policy so staff can report any concerns in confidence.

Audit 

Examples include:

• periodically check invoices and records to identify any anomalies
• regularly review risk-assessments and documenting the safeguards put in place.