At it’s February 2020 meeting, the College Board approved amendments to the Controlled Prescription Program (CPP) forms to create a harmonized form.
Harmonized Controlled Prescription Program Form. #CPBCBoard pic.twitter.com/9xVpr9wVM5
— BC Pharmacists (@BCPharmacists) February 14, 2020
The Controlled Prescription Program is a duplicate prescription program created to prevent forgeries and reduce inappropriate prescribing of drugs listed in Schedule 1A. Prescriptions for drugs specified in the CPP must be written on a duplicate form specifically developed for this purpose.
The benefits of having a harmonized CPP form include:
- A consistent approach to writing prescriptions for all 1A drugs;
- Increased patient access to OAT therapy, as all physicians will have the form (currently only OAT prescribers have the methadone CPP form); and,
- Reduced administrative burden associated with ordering/printing of two pads for 1A drugs.
Prior to these amendments, there were two CPP forms in use, a generic CPP form used for the majority of controlled prescriptions, and a methadone CPP form which is used to prescribe methadone for maintenance treatment.
Since the release of the new Provincial Guidelines for the Clinical Management of Opioid Use Disorder by the BC Centre on Substance Use, prescribers have been using the generic CPP form to prescribe buprenorphine/naloxone and slow release oral morphine for OAT.
This created inconsistencies amongst prescriptions for OAT drugs as prescriptions written on the generic CPP form are “void after 5 days,” where as prescriptions for methadone for OAT are not as they include a “start day” and “last day.” The new form will not be implemented until a later date which will be communicated once the new forms have been printed by the Ministry of Health.
The new form also reflects the changes included in Professional Practice Policy – 71 related to delivery authorization for Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) and allows prescribers the option to specify that delivery is not permitted on the form.