The Poisons Act 1972, which applies to Great Britain only, was designed to restrict the availability of poisons to the public to prevent their misuse, inadvertently or by criminal design, while at the same time making the poisons available to those with a legitimate need by regulating their retail sale.
The Poisons List is split into Part 1 and Part 2. Part 1 poisons, which would be considered the most dangerous, may only be sold by a person lawfully conducting a retail pharmacy business. They must also keep a Poisons register that records details about the transaction and purchaser. Part 2 poisons, which would be considered less dangerous, can only be sold by a person conducting a retail pharmacy business or by a person whose name is entered on to a local authority‘s list granting them approval to sell poisons.
