Prescribed Controlled Drugs

Information on 'The General Licences for Importation, Exportation and Possession of Controlled Drugs for the Bailiwick of Guernsey'.

A General Licence for the importation, exportation and possession of controlled drugs was previously issued on 7 December 2016 under section 2(2)(b) of the Misuse of Drugs (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 1974 and s. 4 of the Misuse of Drugs (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Ordinance 1997.

The Committee for Health and Social Care revoked that licence and issued a new licence ("this Licence") 13 July 2021, which can be found in the download section on this page.

Further information about Import Licence applications can be found at this link. Prescribed medicinal cannabis products

• Personal Importation and Exportation of Prescribed Medicines that are or contain certain Controlled Drugs

  • This Licence allows a person ("the traveller") who is entering or leaving the Bailiwick to import or export certain controlled drugs when that controlled drug is:
    • lawfully in the traveller's possession (before the importation or exportation),
    • personally carried by the traveller,
    • prescribed for the traveller (or a patient travelling under the personal care of that person) by a qualified clinician, AND
    • intended for administration to the traveller (or the patient travelling in the traveller's personal care) for medical or dental purposes in accordance with the prescription.
  • Controlled drugs are medicinal products named in the misuse of drugs legislation. Only a controlled drug listed in Schedule 2, 3 or 4 to the Misuse of Drugs (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Ordinance 1997 may be imported or exported under this licence. To be clear, this Licence excludes any controlled drug listed in Schedule 1 to that Ordinance.
  • Do not use this guide in place of this Licence or the law and, if in doubt, you should take your own independent legal advice.
  • If you need to check the controlled status of your prescription, contact your clinic or supplying pharmacy.
  • Controlled drugs are not normally prescribed in quantities of greater than 1 month's supply. The amount of controlled drug imported or exported by the traveller at any one time under this Licence must not exceed 3 months' supply at the dosage specified in the prescription.

• Possession of certain Controlled Drugs imported under the Licence

  • Where a controlled drug is imported under this Licence and the prescription for it is not issued by a qualified clinician in the Bailiwick, this Licence also allows the traveller (or the patient in the traveller's care) to possess the controlled drug during the traveller's (or patient's) stay or residence in the Bailiwick.

• Travelling outside of the Bailiwick

  • If you're leaving the Bailiwick with a medicine that contains a controlled drug you should be able to prove it's yours with either a prescription or letter from your clinician.
  • Other countries have their own import laws for prescription medicine and controlled drugs.

• Additional information

  • You must:
  • Store any controlled drug possessed under this licence, safely and securely.
  • On arrival in or departure from the Bailiwick the traveller must declare the importation to the Guernsey Border Agency by completing and submitting a Customs Declaration.
  • The Customs Officer may request that you show them either the prescription or a letter from the qualified clinician who issued the prescription. The prescription or letter must contain sufficient information, in English, to confirm the traveller's right to possess the controlled drug.
  • In the case of exportation from the Bailiwick, the traveller is at all times responsible for compliance with the law of the country or territory to which the controlled drug is imported in particular any requirement for an import licence to be issued by the competent authority of that country or territory.
  • In the case of importation into the Bailiwick, the traveller is at all times responsible for compliance with the law of the country or territory from which the controlled drug is to be imported, in particular any requirement for an export licence to be issued by the competent authority of that country or territory.
  • This Licence does not in any way authorise any person to supply or offer to supply the controlled drug to any other person, except to the patient (if any) who travelled in the care of the traveller. Any other supply, or offer to supply, of the controlled drug to any person (other than to a retail pharmacy or a registered medical practitioner or registered dentist for destruction) is a criminal offence.

• Non-personal Importation or Exportation of Prescription Medicines that are or contain Controlled Drugs

  • This Licence does not replace the need to apply for and obtain an Individual Import Licence or Individual Export Licence for prescribed medicines that are or contain controlled drugs and will be imported into, or exported from, the Bailiwick other than where personally carried by the traveller (or patient) to whom the prescription is issued, e.g. when imported or exported by post or courier, or carried by another person.
  • For example, Bailiwick of Guernsey residents need an Individual Import Licence for prescriptions for CBPMs (cannabis based products for medicinal use in humans) supplied from private clinics, who then need to import their medication by parcel e.g. across the UK/Guernsey border.

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