Chemists have been warned to be vigilant after a number of fake prescriptions for diazapam and other drugs have been presented to pharmacists in Wythenshawe.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has issued the warning following an investigation by Greater Manchester Police.

They say a number of pharmacies in South Manchester – “particularly [in] Wythenshawe and immediate surrounding areas” – are being presented with false FP10 prescriptions

The fraudulent prescriptions are signed by an unlicensed prescriber, and include 112 diazepam 10mg tablets, 84 nitrazepam 5mg tablets, and 56 pregabalin 300mg capsules, the NPA said.

Diazepam, also known as Valium is used to treat anxiety and is only available from a pharmacy with a prescription. The drug is safe to take when used as directed by a doctor, but it can be addictive and is is commonly abused.  Some users develop an addiction that can threaten to spiral out of control if left untreated.

The prescriber on the fraudulent prescriptions is Dr Cheyan Datta, who has not had a General Medical Council licence to practise since February 2017.

And he surgery on the prescriptions, The Village Medical Centre in Littleborough, Lancashire, has said the name of the patient requesting the medicines is not registered with them, the NPA added.

The handwriting of the prescriber and the patient on the prescriptions also have “similar traits”, it said.

Pharmacists and their teams need to be “vigilant” and “act accordingly” if any prescriptions look suspicious, the NPA advised.

This includes checking the prescriber details on the relevant professional register and, when necessary, contacting the prescriber to clarify medicine queries, the NPA said