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Prescription and dispensing records in hospital pharmacy

Last updated See all updates
Topics: Record keeping

Recommendations for the retention of records relating to prescriptions and the dispensing processes in hospital pharmacy.

This article forms part of a series
  1. Retaining and storing pharmacy records in England
    1. Additional services records in community pharmacy
    2. Clinical governance and patient safety records in pharmacy
    3. Clinical trial records in hospital pharmacy
    4. Controlled Drugs (CD) records in pharmacy
    5. Prescription and dispensing records in community pharmacy
    6. Prescription and dispensing records in hospital pharmacy
    7. Stock management, waste and recall records in pharmacy
    8. Supply and distribution records in pharmacy
    9. Technical service records in hospital pharmacy

Contents

  1. Using our advice
  2. Specific records
    1. Accuracy checking
    2. Biosimilar medicine supply
    3. Blood product supply
    4. Clinical intervention
    5. Dispensing incidents and near misses
    6. Prescriptions
    7. Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (EPMA) audits
    8. FP10 prescription pad
    9. Named-patient supply
    10. Unlicensed medicine supply
  4. Update history

Using our advice

Hospital pharmacy teams create prescription and dispensing records to support the safe prescribing, supply and administration of medicines. These records provide evidence of medicines-related decisions, support continuity of care, enable audit and investigation activities, and help organisations meet legal, regulatory and governance requirements.

Retention requirements may arise from legislation, the Records Management Code of Practice (RMCoP), or professional guidance.

Where multiple retention periods apply, organisations should normally retain records for the longest applicable period. See Retaining and storing pharmacy records in England (SPS page) for factors that may justify longer retention.

Specific records

Record description

Records such as logs, final checking and competency assessments.

Minimum retention time

  • retain records for at least 2 years

Supporting source

The advice is inferred from the RMCoP guidance on retaining prescription records.

Record description

Records such as prescribing, switching, counselling, product traceability and clinical outcome monitoring.

Minimum retention time

  • retain traceability records for at least 30 years
  • retain clinical records relating to adults aged 18 years and over for at least 8 years
  • retain clinical records relating to children until their 25th birthday or until their 26th birthday if they were 17 years when the treatment ended

Supporting source

Biosimilars are biological medicines which are treated the same as blood products under the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005 No 50.

The RMCoP advise treating clinical pharmacy records in the same way as patient records.

Record description

Records such as supply, side effects, and recipient traceability.

Minimum retention time

  • retain traceability records for at least 30 years
  • retain records relating to serious side effects affecting blood safety or quality for 15 years

Supporting source

Blood products are subject to the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005 No 50.

Record description

Records such as pharmacist interventions, clinical screening, prescribing recommendations and communications.

Minimum retention time

  • retain clinical records relating to adults aged 18 years and over for at least 8 years
  • retain clinical records relating to children until their 25th birthday or until their 26th birthday if they were 17 years when the treatment ended

Supporting source

The RMCoP advise treating clinical pharmacy records in the same way as patient records.

Record description

Records such as dispensing errors, near misses, corrective actions and patient notifications.

Minimum retention time

  • retain records for at least 2 years
  • retain clinical records relating to adults aged 18 years and over for at least 8 years
  • retain clinical records relating to children until their 25th birthday or until their 26th birthday if they were 17 years when the treatment ended

Supporting source

Non-clinical records relating to medicine supply can be treated like prescription records.

The RMCoP advise treating clinical pharmacy records in the same way as patient records.

Record description

Records such as NHS or private in-patient dispensing, out-patient dispensing and discharge or to-take-away (TTA) prescriptions.

Minimum retention time

  • retain records for at least 2 years

Supporting source

The RMCoP advise on prescription retention. Private care records held by NHS organisations should be retained in accordance with the same principles as NHS records.

Record description

Records such as reports, compliance audits, and activity reports.

Minimum retention time

  • retain records for at least 2 years

Supporting source

The advice is inferred from the RMCoP guidance on retaining prescription records.

Record description

Records such as receipts, distribution, serial number logs and loss reports.

Minimum retention time

  • retain records for at least 3 years

Supporting source

The Counter Fraud Authority’s Management and Control of Prescription Forms (August 2025) has replaced the NHS Security of Prescription Forms guidance and no longer provides a minimum retention time. The retention time advised is based on the original NHS guidance.

Record description

Records such as named-patient requests and supply.

Minimum retention time

  • retain records for at least 5 years

Supporting source

The Human Medicines Regulations 2012 advise on record retention relating to named-patient supplies.

The MHRA Guidance for specials manufacturers also requires retention of records relating to these supplies.

Record description

Records such as specials requests, certificates of analysis, certificates of conformity, product traceability, import, and supply.

Minimum retention time

  • retain records for at least 5 years

Supporting source

The Human Medicines Regulations 2012 advise on record retention relating to these supplies.

The MHRA Guidance for specials manufacturers also requires retention of records relating to these supplies.

Update history

  1. Republished
  2. Full review and update
  1. Link updated for the Records Management Code of Practice (RMCoP).
  1. Published