As the responsible pharmacist, you supply co-codamol 15/500 mg tablets for use in a clinic on a signed order. According to legal requirements, for how long must the signed order be retained in the pharmacy?

• A. 2 years
• B. 1 year
• C. 3 years
• D. 5 years

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how long a signed order for medicines supplied to a clinic must be kept as part of the pharmacy’s records. When you issue a supply to a clinic on a signed requisition, that document creates an auditable trail of who requested the medicine, what was supplied, the date, and the quantity. To satisfy regulatory requirements and enable future audits or investigations, this signed order must be retained for two years from the date of the order. That two-year period is the standard legal requirement for such records, ensuring there’s a complete history if questions arise about the supply of a controlled substance like co-codamol. Longer or shorter retention times aren’t aligned with the regulation for these requisitions, so two years is the correct duration.