Controlled Prescription Program

The Controlled Prescription Program (CPP) aims to reduce inappropriate or forged prescriptions by requiring the use of special prescription pads or printer sheets to prescribe controlled drugs and substances listed in the Controlled Drug Program Information and Drug List. BCCNM oversees the supply of duplicate controlled prescription pads and printer sheets to authorized registrants including:

Midwives
Nurse practitioners
Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses who hold certified practice in opioid use disorder.

Controlled prescribing and your practice

Eligibility to prescribe

To prescribe controlled drugs and substances, you must:

Have access to PharmaNet and document review of the client’s PharmaNet medication profile, and employer support to prescribe controlled drugs and substances.
Meet BCCNM prescribing standards, limits and conditions and employer policies, standards and guidelines.
To prescribe for opioid use disorder you must complete the British Columbia Centre on Substance Use's Provincial Opioid Addiction Treatment Support Program, including the preceptorship.

Requirements for prescribing controlled drugs + substances

Prescribing of controlled drugs and substances should follow NP standards, limits and conditions for prescribing drugs and prescribing for opioid use disorder and/or pharmaceutical alternatives for safer supply.
Keep duplicate controlled prescription pads or printer sheets in a secure, locked location to minimize the risk of prescription pads or sheets being stolen, lost, or used fraudulently.
Duplicate prescription pads should only be used by the authorized user. Every pad has a folio number that is linked to the NP's unique prescriber number.
Printer sheets can be used by all authorized prescribers at a site or clinic.
If using a prescription pad, keep the prescriber (duplicate) copy of the prescription in the client health record, not within the pad. This ensures appropriate recordkeeping and protects your client’s personal information if a pad is lost or stolen.
Follow employer records retention policies for the retention and filing of prescriber copies.

Verbal or faxed prescriptions to pharmacies

When a verbal or faxed CPP prescription is issued to a pharmacy, a faxed copy of the CPP form is now acceptable.
Prescriptions for long term care and extended care licenced facility patients do not require the use of CPP forms and may be faxed to the authorized community pharmacy.

Prescription pad management

How to order CPP prescription pads or printer sheets

Log in to your BCCNM account.
You’ll be asked to provide your phone number, pad address (work site), delivery address, and select whether you want to order prescription pads or printer-friendly sheets.
A confirmation email will be sent after your order has been successfully submitted.
The pad(s) or sheets will be delivered from the printer via Canada Post Xpresspost. Please allow three weeks for order processing and delivery.
If pads are not delivered within three weeks of ordering, contact BCCNM at cpp@bccnm.ca or 604.742.6200 or toll-free at 1.866.880.7101.

Important

Controlled prescription pads or printer sheets should be delivered to the primary workplace where you will be using the pad or printer-friendly sheets.
The phone number and address you provide must match the information on your BCCNM record. Please make sure that your contact information is up to date before placing an order.
A medical office assistant or other clinic staff member may sign for the order if they are aware that the pad or printer sheets must be appropriately stored in a in a secure, locked area immediately upon arrival.
For security reasons, only in exceptional circumstances will a controlled prescription pad or printer-friendly sheets to be delivered to a home address.
Canada Post will attempt delivery twice. If both attempts are unsuccessful, Canada Post will forward the order to BCCNM and we will contact you to organize delivery.

Prescription options

BCCNM has duplicate prescription pads and electronic medical record (EMR) printer-friendly sheets available for order.

Detail	Duplicate prescription pads	EMR printer-friendly sheets
Description	A bound pad of duplicate prescriptions	Individual sheets designed to sit in a printer tray
Format	Written by hand and signed	Digitally printed and signed
Electronic medical record required?	No	Yes
Requirements	Secure storage of pads End-to-end chain of custody Retaining/attaching signed prescriber copies to client record	Secure storage of sheets Secure printer with lockable tray End-to-end chain of custody Retaining/attaching signed prescriber copies to client EMR Printer configuration
Prescriber responsibilities	End-to-end chain of custody Retaining/attaching signed prescriber copies to client record	End-to-end chain of custody Retaining/attaching signed prescriber copies to client EMR Printer configuration
Pharmacy copy	First page of the prescription	Left side of Rx sheet
Prescriber copy	Second page (blue copy)	Right side of Rx sheet

Report a lost or stolen prescription pad or printer-friendly sheets

If your CPP pad or printer sheets go missing – whether lost or stolen – please:

1. Follow your employer policy.
2. Determine what folios (numbered forms) were in the missing pad or printer sheets.
3. Determine if patient information is contained in the missing pad or printer sheets.
4. Review previous prescriptions to determine if there are legitimate prescriptions still outstanding that will need to be replaced.
5. Report loss, misuse or theft (possible or confirmed) to the organizations below.

ORGanization	CONTACT
BCCNM Quality Assurance	Email: cpp@bccnm.ca Phone: 604.742.6200 Toll-free: 1.866.880.7101 (in Canada only)
BC Privacy Commissioner	Report a privacy breach Only required if patient information is contained in the missing pad.
Pharmanet	Pharmanet Support Services
Police	Contact the non-emergency line in your area.

Following up on a prescription pad or printer sheets order

Before contacting BCCNM about the status of your prescription pad or printer-friendly sheets order, please:

Allow three weeks for order processing and delivery; and
Check with your clinic admin staff to confirm if your pads were delivered.

If your order is not delivered within three weeks of ordering, contact BCCNM at cpp@bccnm.ca or 604.742.6200 or toll-free at 1.866.880.7101.

Disposing of unused prescription pads or printer sheets

You must confidentially shred your pads or printer sheets if you:

are on an extended leave;
change your registration status to non-practising or inactive;
change employers, or the information on your pads or printer sheets is no longer current; or
are instructed to do so by BCCNM staff.

If your site does not have confidential waste to dispose of your pads or printer sheets securely, please contact us at cpp@bccnm.ca.

Resources

Case studies

Case study: Stolen or missing controlled prescription pad

Federal laws + regulations

Prescribing - General

Resource	AGENCY
Standards, Limits and Conditions: Prescribing	BCCNM
Controlled Prescription Program	College of Pharmacists of BC
Prescription Regulations	College of Pharmacists of BC
Prescribing tools and resources	College of Physicians & Surgeons of BC

Prescribing - Opioid use disorder

resource	agency
Standards, Limits and Conditions: Prescribing for Opioid Use Disorder and/or Pharmaceutical Alternatives for Safer Supply	BCCNM
Clinical resources for opioid use disorder	British Columbia Centre on Substance Use
Health provider resources	British Columbia Centre on Substance Use
Opioid Use Disorder Decision Support Tools	British Columbia Centre on Substance Use
Safe prescribing of Opioids and Sedatives Practice Standard	College of Physicians & Surgeons of BC

PharmaNet

Frequently asked questions

My employer uses an electronic health record. How should I retain the prescriber copy?

It is only necessary to retain one original medical record. Please review your employer's records retention policy on electronic systems.

Scanning the prescriber copy into the record. Once the prescription has been scanned and saved to an EMR, it is not necessary to retain the original paper record.
Storage of paper record. Some employers use storage facilities to retain records. The prescriber copy should be included in the client’s paper file.

Can I use a digital signature EMR printer-friendly sheets?

If the EMR has the capability to create an electronic signature, it must be either signed with an electronic pen, mouse or equivalent or use a digital image of a signature with unique identifiers such as a date stamp, time stamp, password protection. Otherwise, a traditional wet pen-to-paper physical signature in ink is still required on the pharmacy and prescriber copy.

What is the process to set up site printer(s) for EMR printer-friendly sheets?

Each site is responsible for configuring its printer to accommodate EMR printer-friendly sheets. The College cannot assist in the set up.