Yes. A contract carrier or courier can transport Controlled Drugs point to point in the UK without holding a Home Office licence where the drugs are not placed into temporary storage during the journey. The sending organisation still needs to make sure that the transport arrangement, packaging, documentation and handovers meet its legal and operational requirements.

Roadrunners Despatch transports Controlled Drug consignments using a dedicated, direct courier service. Every request is considered against the consignment details and the requirements specified by the sending and receiving organisations before collection is agreed.

This article is practical booking guidance, not legal or pharmaceutical advice. Organisations should follow their own Standard Operating Procedures and the latest Home Office guidance.

What does point-to-point transport mean?

For Roadrunners, point-to-point transport means that the booked vehicle collects the consignment from the agreed sender and travels directly to the agreed recipient. It is not routed through a parcel-network depot or placed into temporary storage by Roadrunners.

The same driver remains responsible for the consignment from collection to delivery. The driver is told that the load contains Controlled Drugs, the vehicle is tracked, and the consignment must not be left unattended.

The Home Office says that contract carriers and couriers delivering Controlled Drugs point to point without temporary storage are exempt from obtaining a Home Office licence for that activity. This does not remove the need for suitable security, procedures and records throughout the journey.

What should the sender arrange before collection?

The sending organisation should tell the courier that the consignment contains Controlled Drugs and provide clear transport instructions when requesting a quotation. Before booking, be ready to confirm:

The full collection and delivery addresses.
A named and authorised contact at each location.
The collection time and required delivery time.
The number, dimensions and weight of the packages.
The required handover and identification checks.
Any documentation that must accompany the consignment.
The procedure to follow if collection or delivery cannot be completed as planned.
A contact who can give instructions if an incident or delay occurs.

The sender remains responsible for preparing, labelling and documenting the consignment in accordance with its own procedures and the recipient's requirements.

How should the consignment be packaged?

Roadrunners requires a Controlled Drug consignment to be presented in a secure, tamper-evident container. The courier does not prepare the medicines or replace the sender's clinical, pharmaceutical or regulatory procedures.

The latest Home Office transit guidance also says that tamper-evident containers or packages should be used for Controlled Drug consignments. The sender should decide what packaging is suitable for the particular contents, risk and journey, and should confirm any additional handling requirement before collection.

What records support the chain of custody?

A clear handover record helps the sending and receiving organisations reconcile the consignment and investigate any discrepancy. For a Roadrunners delivery, the job record can include the collection details, tracked journey and an electronic proof of delivery recording the recipient's name and delivery time.

The Home Office recommends that organisations use clear, regularly reviewed Standard Operating Procedures covering responsibility, record keeping, reconciliation and reporting. It also expects a responsible person to sign consignments out and an authorised person to accept and verify them at the destination.

Customers should tell Roadrunners about any additional signature, identity, document-retention or delivery-location requirement before the job is accepted.

What happens if there is a loss, discrepancy or incident?

The booking instructions should identify who must be contacted and what immediate action is required. Roadrunners reports any loss or damage directly to the customer so that the appropriate action can be taken.

Current Home Office guidance says that everyone involved in the transport chain has responsibility for security while the Controlled Drugs are in their possession. It also sets out reporting expectations for discrepancies, losses and thefts. The supplier or licence holder should make sure its incident and reporting procedure is clear before the consignment leaves the collection point.

A practical Controlled Drug courier checklist

Before confirming the booking, check that:

Roadrunners has been told that the consignment contains Controlled Drugs.
The direct, point-to-point journey and required times have been agreed.
The package is secure, tamper evident and ready for collection.
Collection and delivery contacts are authorised and expecting the driver.
Required identity and handover checks are clear.
All necessary documents and customer instructions are ready.
There is a named contact for delays, incidents or an unsuccessful handover.
Any return, overnight or exceptional transport procedure has been agreed in advance.

Need to arrange a Controlled Drug delivery?

Call Roadrunners Despatch on 0800 970 1155 or use the online quote form. Tell us at the outset that the consignment contains Controlled Drugs and provide the sending and receiving organisations' transport requirements so that we can assess the request before collection.

You can also read about our medical courier service and our guide to chain of custody for urgent healthcare deliveries.

Can a Courier Transport Controlled Drugs in the UK?