Pharmacy compliance records: fridge logs, RP and CD checks for UK community pharmacies

A community pharmacy keeps more records than most small businesses, and some of them are set out in law word for word. The Responsible Pharmacist record and the controlled drugs register have fixed contents and retention periods. The medicines fridge log is how you show your cold chain held.

This page covers those records, the routine checks around them, who inspects them and what happens if they fall short. It is about record-keeping, not clinical practice. For anything clinical, follow GPhC guidance, your SOPs and the product information.

What a pharmacies business needs to record

Record	How often	Why it matters
Medicines fridge temperatures (current, minimum, maximum)	At least once each working day, at the same time	The Green Book says vaccine fridge temperatures must be recorded each working day and kept between +2°C and +8°C.
Fridge temperature excursions and actions taken	Every time a reading is outside range	The Green Book says to quarantine affected stock, record the details and get advice before using it.
Responsible Pharmacist (RP) record	Every time an RP takes or hands over responsibility, and any absence	Required by law. It must show the RP's name, registration number and the times they were in charge.
Controlled drugs register	Same day as each receipt or supply, or the next day at the latest	Required by the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 for Schedule 2 CDs. Entries cannot be altered or crossed out.
CD stock balance checks	As your CD standard operating procedure sets, often weekly	Good practice rather than a fixed legal interval. Regular checks find discrepancies while they are still easy to trace.
Date checking of stock	On a rolling schedule, usually by shelf section each month	Good practice. It shows out-of-date medicines are found and removed before they can be supplied.
Near misses and dispensing errors	Every time one happens, reviewed regularly	Supports the governance principle of the GPhC standards: the team learns from mistakes and you can show it.
Cleaning schedule (dispensary, consultation room, fridge)	Daily and weekly tasks as scheduled	The GPhC standards expect premises to be safe, clean and suitable. A signed schedule shows that is routine.
Fire alarm and emergency lighting tests	Alarm weekly; emergency lighting monthly	Government fire safety guidance for shops recommends these intervals.

Who checks your records

General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
Registers pharmacies in Great Britain and inspects them against the standards for registered pharmacies. Inspections are usually unannounced, and reports are published.
Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI)
Regulates pharmacies and pharmacists in Northern Ireland instead of the GPhC.
Local authority environmental health
Usually enforces general health and safety law in shops, including pharmacies: slips, electrical safety, manual handling and so on.
Fire and rescue authority
Enforces the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own fire safety law.

If your records are missing

A GPhC inspection has two overall outcomes: standards met or standards not all met. If any standard is not met, the overall outcome is standards not all met and the pharmacy must complete an improvement action plan. The GPhC publishes inspection reports, together with improvement action plans and any enforcement action (GPhC).

The RP record and CD register are legal requirements in their own right, not just good practice. Gaps in them are a breach of the regulations, separate from how an inspector grades your governance.

A missing fridge log has a practical cost too. If you cannot show the temperature history of stock, you may not be able to show it is fit to use after a fault. The Green Book says that decision is the user's responsibility and must be made case by case.

Quick answer

A UK community pharmacy must keep a Responsible Pharmacist record (kept for at least five years) and, for Schedule 2 controlled drugs, a CD register (kept for at least two years from the last entry). Medicines fridges should be read and recorded every working day and kept between +2°C and +8°C. GPhC inspectors also look at governance records such as near misses and cleaning.

When the fridge goes out of range

The Green Book, chapter 3 is written for vaccines, but most pharmacies use the same routine for every medicines fridge. It sums up the daily check as read, record, reset, react: read the current, minimum and maximum temperature, write it down and sign it, reset the thermometer, and act if anything is outside +2°C to +8°C.

When a reading is out of range, the Green Book lists these steps:

Keep the fridge door closed until you have assessed the situation.
Work out the last reliable reading and the likely cause, such as a power cut or a door left open.
Quarantine the affected stock in the cold chain, separate from other stock, and label it clearly.
Record all details of the incident.
Inform the relevant organisation and get expert advice before deciding whether stock can be used.
Dispose of unusable stock according to local protocols.

It also recommends at least one maximum-minimum thermometer that does not rely on mains power, calibrated every year. Fridge records should be kept for at least a year, and keeping them for five years generally covers the full storage history of the stock.

The two registers set by law

Record	What it must show	How long to keep it
Responsible Pharmacist record	RP name and registration number, date and time they became and stopped being responsible, and any absence	At least 5 years
Controlled drugs register	Each receipt and supply of a Schedule 2 CD, in date order, with a separate page for each drug, strength and form	At least 2 years from the last entry (regulation 23)

Under regulation 20, CD register entries must be made on the day of the transaction or, if that is not reasonably practicable, the next day. They cannot be cancelled or altered, only corrected by a dated marginal note or footnote. A computerised register is allowed if every entry is attributable and can be audited.

Where LogBooks Hub fits

LogBooks Hub is not a CD register or an RP record system, and it does not replace either. It holds the checks around them: daily fridge readings with photo evidence, excursion actions, CD balance check reminders, date checking, cleaning and fire tests. Entries are timestamped, staff use the iOS or Android app or a browser, and you can export a one-click audit pack PDF.

LogBooks Hub logbooks for pharmacies

These come ready to use from our 90+ digital compliance logbooks. Each one reminds staff when a check is due, records who did it and when, and can hold a photo as evidence.

Medicines fridge temperature log
Fridge temperature excursion record
CD balance check reminder
Date checking schedule
Near miss log
Dispensary cleaning schedule
Consultation room checks
Opening and closing checks
Fire alarm weekly test
Emergency lighting test
Accident book
Thermometer calibration log

Free printable versions: Fridge and freezer temperature log, Cleaning schedule, Fire alarm weekly test log.

Frequently asked questions

How long do you keep a controlled drugs register?

Regulation 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 says a register must be preserved for two years from the date of the last entry in it. That is a legal minimum. Many organisations keep registers longer under their own policies, so check your company or NHS contract requirements as well.

How long must the Responsible Pharmacist record be kept?

At least five years. For an electronic record the five years runs from the day it was created. For a written record it runs from the last day the record relates to. The record must show the RP's name and registration number, when they took and gave up responsibility, and any absence.

What temperature should a pharmacy fridge be?

Most medicines that need refrigeration, including vaccines, are stored between +2°C and +8°C. The Green Book says vaccine fridges should be read and recorded at least once each working day, at the same time, with the current, minimum and maximum temperature. Always check the storage conditions on each product's information.

What should you do if a vaccine fridge goes out of range?

Keep the door closed, quarantine the affected stock in the cold chain and label it, record what happened and when the last good reading was, and seek advice before using or disposing of anything. The Green Book says any decision to use stock stored outside the range must be made case by case.

What happens if a pharmacy fails a GPhC inspection?

There is no pass or fail grade as such. The outcome is either standards met or standards not all met. If any standard is not met, the pharmacy must complete an improvement action plan. The GPhC publishes inspection reports, improvement action plans and any enforcement action on its inspections website.

Can a CD register be kept electronically?

Yes. Regulation 20 allows a computerised register as long as every entry is attributable and capable of being audited, and it is accessible from the premises. A general logbook app is not a CD register. Use a system designed for it, and use other tools for the supporting checks.

Official guidance and sources

This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Rules differ between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; check with your local authority if you are unsure.

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