Northern Ireland Print Version Introduction  Reports > The Fourth Report >  CHAPTER FOURTEEN - The Discussion Paper and the Seminars: Conclusions Contents Introduction Should the Freedom to Prescribe Controlled Drugs Extend only to Practitioners in Actual Clinical Practice in a Relevant Field? Should There Be Some Control on Doctors' Prescribing of Controlled Drugs for Themselves, Their Families or Friends? Should the Freedom to Prescribe Controlled Drugs for a Patient in the Community Extend only to a Patient's 'Nominated' General Practitioner? Should Section 12 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Be Repealed? Should There Be a Policy Shift towards Encouraging the Provision of Community Pharmacies in Rural Areas so as to Reduce the Need for Doctors to Provide Dispensing Services? Prescriptions General Practitioners' Controlled Drugs Registers Should the Dispensing of Controlled Drugs Be Confined to Specialist Pharmacies? Pharmacy Controlled Drugs Registers Inspection Arrangements Collecting Controlled Drugs from the Pharmacy The Audit of Controlled Drugs in the Community The Disposal of Unused Controlled Drugs in the Community Summary    Northern Ireland Print Version Introduction    Published by The Shipman Inquiry © Crown Copyright 2001