The PPB Controlled Substances Register Explained
Pharmacy & Compliance · 6 min read · Updated 2026-06-26
For any Kenyan pharmacy that handles controlled drugs, the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) controlled substances register is not optional paperwork, it is the document an inspector opens first. A clean, complete register protects your licence; a messy one invites trouble. Here is what it needs and how to keep it without the headache.
What the register is for
The controlled substances register is a continuous record of every controlled drug that enters and leaves your pharmacy. Its job is to make stock fully traceable: for any unit, you should be able to show where it came from, who it went to, and that the running balance adds up.
What every entry should capture
For each movement of a controlled drug:
- Date of the transaction
- Drug name, strength, and form
- Quantity received or dispensed
- Running balance after the transaction
- For dispensing: patient name, prescriber, and prescription reference
- The pharmacist or dispenser responsible
The non-negotiable is the running balance. An inspector will pick a drug and check that opening stock, plus receipts, minus dispensed, equals what is physically on the shelf. If it doesn't, you have a problem to explain.
How a PPB inspection actually goes
Inspections focus on traceability and reconciliation. Expect the inspector to:
- Pick one or more controlled drugs
- Trace recent entries in the register
- Count physical stock and compare it to the register balance
- Look for gaps, corrections, and unexplained discrepancies
Paper registers fail here in predictable ways: arithmetic errors in the running balance, illegible entries, pages out of order, and corrections that look like tampering.
Paper vs digital register
A paper register is legal but fragile. A digital register fixes the failure modes:
- The running balance is calculated automatically, no arithmetic errors
- Entries are timestamped and attributed, so there is a clear audit trail
- Nothing is illegible or out of order
- You can export the full register for an inspection in seconds
The key compliance point: the digital log must be complete and tamper-evident. Every dispense should write an entry automatically, not depend on someone remembering to fill in a book.
Building a defensible log
- Record the controlled drug at the point of dispensing, not at the end of the day
- Never allow stock to move without a register entry
- Reconcile physical stock against the register on a fixed schedule
- Keep the responsible dispenser attached to every entry
- Be able to produce a clean export on demand
How AfyaConnect keeps you inspection-ready
AfyaConnect's pharmacy module includes a PPB-compliant controlled substances register that writes an entry automatically on every dispense, tracks the running balance in real time, attributes each transaction to a dispenser, and exports the full register as CSV for inspections. There is no separate book to maintain and no arithmetic to get wrong.
If your controlled drugs register is still on paper, that is the riskiest book in your pharmacy. Register your pharmacy to move it to a digital log that is always ready for a PPB inspection.