Controlled Drugs
Controlled Drug Accountable Officer (CDAO) – West Yorkshire
The CD Accountable Officer for NHS England (North East and Yorkshire) is Gazala Khan.
Email: england.yhcdao@nhs.net
Reporting CD Incidents: Report via www.cdreporting.co.uk
More details and guidance on Controlled Drugs and CD Regulations can be found on the CPE website here.
Controlled Drugs (CD) Destruction
Destruction of Controlled Drugs
All stocks of Schedule 2 Controlled Drugs must be witnessed by a person authorised by the Lead Accountable Officer for NHS England.
Any stocks of Controlled drugs in Schedule 3, and 4 (Part 1) must be denatured before being disposed of by healthcare staff that are lawfully in possession of these.
It is a legal requirement for premises to have a valid T28 Exemption certificate before any controlled drugs destructions are undertaken. If you do not have a certificate you can register via T28 waste exemption: sort and denature controlled drugs for disposal – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
A registered healthcare professional who is not responsible for the day-to-day use or management of CDs at the provider premises can apply to act as an authorised person and witness the destruction of Schedule 2 Controlled Drugs.
Providers will need to nominate a registered healthcare professional; this could be a pharmacist or a pharmacy technician for pharmacies or GP/Nurse for GP practices.
The nominated person will need to complete the Temporary Authorised Witness to the Destruction of Controlled Drugs.
Once the application has been assessed and regulatory checks have been completed the CDAO will determine to issue an Authorised Witness License limited to 28 days to witness the destruction of controlled drugs with the quantities listed in the Authorised Witness application. The Authorised witness will be issued with guidance to help with record keeping.
Community Pharmacies – Multiples
NHS England Controlled Drugs (Supervision of management and use) regulations 2013 Single Operating Model; Annex 6: Authorisation of witnesses to destroy Controlled Drugs highlights the following for Community Pharmacies – Multiples:
NHS England anticipates that corporate bodies operating more than 5 or more pharmacy premises will seek to have suitably trained employees designated as Authorised Witnesses by the appropriate NHS England CDAO.
A corporate body operating 5 or more pharmacies may apply to the appropriate NHS England CDAO to designate suitably trained individual employees and/or class of employees as Authorised Witnesses.
The appropriate NHS England CDAO is the one for the regional team where the corporate body’s registered office is located.
The appropriate NHS England CDAO may designate suitably trained individual employees and/or class of employees in a corporate body as Authorised Witnesses where the individuals described are not routinely involved in the management and use of CDs in the premises in which they are acting as an Authorised Witness.
The Superintendent Pharmacist of the corporate body is accountable to the appropriate NHS England CDAO for the governance arrangements around the witnessed destruction of CDs in their premises.
For further information please email:
- Yorkshire and Humber england.yhcdao@nhs.net
Patient Returns of Controlled Drugs
Patient return Controlled Drugs for Schedule 2, 3 and 4 (Part 1) can be destroyed without the presence of an authorised witness however the destruction should be witnessed by another colleague and logs kept of destructions e.g. a Controlled Drugs Patient Returns Book.
It is a legal requirement for premises to have a valid T28 Exemption certificate before any controlled drugs destructions are undertaken. If you do not have a certificate you can register via T28 waste exemption: sort and denature controlled drugs for disposal – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Last Updated: 13th June 2025
