Prescriber Verification and Forged Prescriptions: Pharmacy Rules

A forged prescription is one of the ways a controlled substance leaves a pharmacy with no legitimate patient behind it, and Health Canada counts one that was filled as a theft. The Controlled Substances Regulations, in force since October 1, 2026, put the first check on whoever receives the prescription. Health Canada's guidance for community pharmacies (CS-GD-022) then describes how much checking is enough, and when a forgery becomes a loss or theft report. This page covers both.

Whose check it is

A pharmacist or a pharmacy technician who receives an order or prescription for a controlled substance verifies the person's name, title if applicable, and signature if it is not already known to them (Controlled Substances Regulations s. 103). For a prescription, Health Canada's guidance makes them responsible for verifying the identity of the practitioner who issued it, whether it arrived in writing or by phone. Only a pharmacist then sells or provides the controlled substance, and the guidance makes it the pharmacist's responsibility to be satisfied the sale is for a legitimate purpose.

Two or more checks, not public information alone

Health Canada's guidance recommends a robust system that does not rely solely on information readily available to the general public, and a layered approach using two or more verification methods. Its examples:

• Review the prescription's transmission information when it was sent electronically.
• Call back on a clinic telephone number already known to the pharmacy.
• Confirm with the provincial or territorial regulator that the practitioner is in good standing.
• Compare against practitioner credentials established on earlier prescriptions.
• Cross-reference provincial licensing databases with contact information from independent sources.

Electronic prescriptions and orders

Health Canada accepts electronic orders and prescriptions when the digital or electronic signature can be authenticated. At its October 5, 2026 webinar for community pharmacies, Health Canada described the review in the terms of a forgery check: is the prescriber a practitioner under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, is there a restriction on their licence that affects prescribing controlled substances, and does all of the information on the prescription line up.

Checking the prescriber, method by method

The table pairs each method in Health Canada's guidance with what it confirms. Each covers a different gap, which is why the guidance recommends combining two or more.

When a forgery becomes a report

Health Canada's guidance draws the line at dispensing. When a forged prescription has been dispensed, the pharmacist submits a loss or theft report, and Health Canada's reporting guidance classes it as a theft. The pharmacist reports it to Health Canada in writing within 10 days after becoming aware of it (Controlled Substances Regulations s. 109(2)). Health Canada's guidance says an attempted forgery where no controlled substance was dispensed does not need to be reported to Health Canada, though the provincial or territorial regulator may have its own requirements.

Where NarcCount fits

A forgery that was dispensed leaves the pharmacy as a recorded dispense, so it does not appear as a count variance; the pharmacy's investigation notes and the loss or theft report are what document it. NarcCount does not verify prescriptions or prescribers. It reconciles the records a pharmacy imports, which is where a pattern of unexplained shortages, the other route by which diversion shows itself, becomes visible.