The Schedule H1 register: what a medical store must record

What Schedule H1 is

Schedule H1 is a list under the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, added in 2013 to control the overuse of some antibiotics, anti-tuberculosis drugs and habit-forming drugs. Their packs carry an Rx mark in red and a boxed warning.

What to write for every sale

Each supply of a Schedule H1 drug is recorded at the time of sale in a separate register, with:

• The name and address of the prescribing doctor
• The name of the patient
• The name of the drug
• The quantity supplied

How long to keep it

The register is kept for three years and must be available when a drug inspector asks for it. A neat, complete register is one of the first things checked in an inspection.

Making it easy at the counter

Writing the register by hand during a busy hour is where entries get missed. When the billing software asks for the doctor and patient on every Schedule H1 bill, the register builds itself and can be printed or downloaded for any dates.