Controlled Drug in the United Kingdom classification of medicines. Special responsibilities are placed upon pharmaceutical wholesalers, pharmacies and doctors in the stocking, distribution, issuing of prescriptions, supply and disposal of items listed under the first three of the schedules. The regulations have been further tightened since Dr Harold Shipman used diamorphine to murder hundreds of his patients during the late 20th century. Drugs which are not used medically, and thus their possession and supply is prohibited; e.g. cannabis and LSD except when licensed by the Home Office to carry out research. Substances subject to the full controlled drug requirements; e.g. diamorphine (heroin), pethidine, cocaine, methadone, methylphenidate,
Bayer by 1983 the CDC had identified contaminated blood products as a source of infection. According to the "New York Times", this was "one of the worst drug-related medical disasters in history". Companies, including Bayer, developed new ways to treat donated blood with heat to decontaminate it, and these new products were introduced early in 1984. In 1997 Bayer and the other three makers of such blood products agreed to pay $660 million to settle cases on behalf of more than 6,000 hemophiliacs infected in United States. But in 2003 documents emerged showing that Cutter had continued to sell unheated blood