Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Clinical
  • Published:

UK Dental Medicines Advisory Service: questions asked by dentists - part 1: prescribing regulations and medicines use

British Dental Journal volume 231, pages 393–397 (2021)Cite this article

Abstract

The UK Dental Medicines Advisory Service (UKDMAS) provides advice to dentists and other dental healthcare professionals concerning the use of medicines and medical devices in dentistry. The commonly asked questions posed to the UKDMAS concerning the prescribing, administering or dispensing of medicines in dental practice are discussed with answers supplemented by relevant information from clinicians. These include: different classes of medicines, unlicensed medicines, prescriptions, Patient Group Directions, Patient Specific Directions and dispensing of medicines - if appropriate.

Key points

  • The UK Dental Medicines Advisory Service (UKDMAS) provides advice to dentists and other dental healthcare workers concerning prescribing of medicines, and use of medicines and medical devices in dental practice.

  • This article highlights some of the commonly asked questions posed by dentists or other members of the dental team to the UKDMAS, concerning prescribing regulations and medicines use. The answers given are supplemented by information provided by clinicians from a range of dental specialties.

  • Medicines are highly regulated in the UK; dentists and other dental healthcare workers, who are involved in the prescribing, administering or dispensing of medicines, must be aware of the rules and restrictions placed on them by the law, the NHS and their own professional bodies.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. General Dental Council. Preparing for practice: Dental team learning outcomes for registration. 2015. Available at https://www.gdc-uk.org/docs/default-source/registration-for-dcps-qualified-overseas/preparing-for-practice-(revised-2015)-(3)9cfe2565e7814f6b89ff98149f436bc7.pdf?sfvrsn=ab3900f4_7 (accessed October 2021).

  2. Joint Formulary Committee. British National Formulary. Available at https://bnf.nice.org.uk/ (accessed April 2020).

  3. NHS Business Services Authority. Drug Tariff: Part XVIIA - Dental Prescribing. 2020. Available at https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/pharmacies-gp-practices-and-appliance-contractors/drug-tariff (accessed April 2020).

  4. General Dental Council. Guidance on prescribing medicines. 2013. Available at https://www.gdc-uk.org/docs/default-source/guidance-documents/guidance-on-prescribing-medicinesce128745f6c44552913f31f38e5ed94a.pdf?sfvrsn=2e82e39c_9 (October 2021).

  5. UK Government. The Human Medicines Regulations 2012. 2012. Available at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1916/contents (accessed April 2020).

  6. UK Government. The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001. 2001. Available at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/3998/contents/made (accessed April 2020).

  7. General Medical Council. Good practice in prescribing and managing medicines and devices. 2013. Available at https://www.gmc-uk.org/ethical-guidance/ethical-guidance-for-doctors/good-practice-in-prescribing-and-managing-medicines-and-devices (accessed October 2021).

  8. Specialist Pharmacy Service. Questions about Patient Specific Directions (PSD). 2020. Available at https://www.sps.nhs.uk/articles/questions-about-patient-specific-directions-psd/ (accessed October 2021).

  9. Royal Pharmaceutical Society. Medicines, Ethics and Practice (MEP). 2019. Available at https://www.rpharms.com/publications/the-mep (accessed April 2020).

  10. NHS Counter Fraud Authority. Management and control of prescription forms: A guide for prescribers and health organisations. 2018. Available online at https://cfa.nhs.uk/fraud-prevention/fraud-guidance#controlPrescriptionForms (accessed April 2020).

  11. UK Government. The National Health Service (General Dental Services Contracts) Regulations 2005: Schedule 3. 2005. Available at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/3361/schedule/3/made (accessed August 2020).

  12. Specialist Pharmacy Service. An introduction to PGDs: definitions and examples of use. 2020. Available at https://www.sps.nhs.uk/articles/what-is-a-patient-group-direction-pgd/ (accessed August 2020).

  13. Specialist Pharmacy Service. When to use a PGD. 2020. Available at https://www.sps.nhs.uk/articles/when-to-use-a-pgd/ (accessed August 2020).

  14. Specialist Pharmacy Service. When and how can dentists supply medicines? 2019. Available at https://www.sps.nhs.uk/articles/when-and-how-can-dentists-supply-medicines/ (accessed August 2020).

  15. Specialist Pharmacy Service. How should dentists prescribe, store, order and dispose of controlled drugs? 2016. Available at https://www.sps.nhs.uk/articles/how-should-dentists-prescribe-store-order-and-dispose-of-controlled-drugs-2/ (accessed August 2020).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Assistant Director, North West Medicines Information Centre, 70 Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L69 3G, UK

    Christine Randall

  2. StR in Oral Medicine, Liverpool University Dental Hospital, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5PS, UK

    Daniel Finn

  3. Consultant/Honorary Professor of Oral Medicine, Liverpool University Dental Hospital, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5PS, UK

    E. Anne Field

Authors
  1. Christine Randall
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Daniel Finn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. E. Anne Field
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to E. Anne Field.

Ethics declarations

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Randall, C., Finn, D. & Field, E. UK Dental Medicines Advisory Service: questions asked by dentists - part 1: prescribing regulations and medicines use. Br Dent J 231, 393–397 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-021-3470-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-021-3470-5

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links