GPs will not issue prescriptions for sedating medications (such as diazepam) prior to dental procedures.

Patients should not be directed to their GP by a dentist to request sedating medications.

If a dentist considers sedation necessary for an anxious patient, the dentist is responsible for issuing the prescription.

Dentists are authorised to prescribe certain medications listed in the BNF Dental Practitioners’ Formulary, available here which includes Diazepam Tablets and Oral Solution.

Dentists may contact a GP for clinical advice or information, particularly if the patient has a complex medical history. However, this does not extend to requesting prescriptions for sedation.