A safe in a pharmacy? According to the regulations of the Minister of Health, some preparations must be stored in a pharmacy with special precautions. This applies primarily to narcotics and expired drugs.
Expired drugs – in a metal cabinet
The Regulation of the Minister of Health of 20th December 2002 on handling counterfeit, spoiled, falsified or expired medicinal products containing narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors of group I-R specifies that out-of-date medicines (as well as spoiled or falsified ones) should be stored in a tightly closed container labeled "For disposal". These containers should be placed in a closed metal cabinet in a storage room.
The ordinance does not explicitly indicate what kind of security should be provided in the cabinet for storing expired medicines, but since the head of the facility is responsible for the proper disposal of medicines and products intended for disposal, it is worth protecting yourself by having a cabinet with an appropriate level of security.
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Safe for storing drugs
Pharmacies that sell narcotics must take special precautions. The detailed guidelines for pharmacy equipment indicate that a safe should be used for storing narcotics, which is to be kept in the medicinal products store. In addition to the safe, a pharmacy selling narcotics must also keep a so-called drug book, i.e. a record of incoming and outgoing drugs, which is approved by the provincial pharmaceutical inspector.
Similar rules apply to outlets selling drugs in bulk. It follows from the Ordinance of the Minister of Health of 07. July 2016 on the issuance of permits for wholesale trade in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or precursors of category 1 that wholesale trade in narcotic drugs may be conducted when one has, for narcotic drugs of groups I-N, II-N and IV-N or psychotropic substances, at least closed, metal cabinets, refrigerators or cassettes permanently fixed to the walls or floor of the premises. However, the regulation does not specify what class the safe or cabinet must be to meet the requirements. Nevertheless, the requirement for them to be permanently fixed to the floor indicates the need for a safe of at least class S2.
