Why some prescriptions must be on paper
Version 1 - last reviewed 23 July 2026 by Ahmed Al-Liabi (Superintendent Pharmacist) - next review due 22 October 2026
Some medicines have extra legal controls. They are called controlled drugs. For these, the law needs a paper prescription signed by hand.
The clinic prints and signs the paper form, then posts it to the pharmacy by tracked post. The pharmacy must hold the original and check it carefully.
A photo is never enough
A photo or scan of the form can never unlock your medicine. Only the checked paper original can. This protects you and is the law.
While the form travels, your order shows "Waiting for your paper prescription to reach the pharmacy". Post takes a few days. You do not need to do anything.
Paper prescriptions for these medicines are only valid for a set time, 28 days from the date on the form. If it runs out, the prescriber must issue a new one.