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Controlled Drugs Cabinet Finance

Spread the cost of a controlled drugs cabinet from £150 to £1,300+ with flexible finance options: HP, lease or refinance. Compare rates from 40+ lenders.

Can you finance a controlled drugs cabinet?

Yes, controlled drugs cabinets are financed as a standard asset purchase, usually on hire purchase or a lease, with the machine itself acting as the security. UK prices typically run £150 to £1,300, and most deals are written over 12–36 months with a deposit of around 10–20%. Decisions typically take 24 hours. Used machines are financeable too, usually with a shorter term.

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Typical Cost

£150 – £1k

Approval Speed

24 hours

Same-day for < £2k

Rates From

5.0% APR

What would a controlled drugs cabinet cost per month?

£600
10%
60 months
9%
£0

Your estimate

Indicative only. Not a quote and not an offer of finance.

Pre-filled with a typical controlled drugs cabinet price. Indicative only, not a quote.

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Finance options

Hire Purchase (HP)

Rate
From 5.4% APR
Term
12–36 months
Deposit
10–20%
Ownership
Yours at the end
Best for
A pharmacy's fixed controlled drugs storage, installed once and used for its full working life

Finance Lease

Rate
From 5.0% APR
Term
12–36 months
Deposit
None required
Ownership
Return or buy (balloon payment)
Best for
Bundling a CD cabinet with a wider dispensary fit-out into one deductible payment

Operating Lease

Rate
From 5.8% APR
Term
12–24 months
Deposit
None required
Ownership
Return at end
Best for
A pharmacy that expects to move premises and wants to avoid owning fixtures it can't take with it

Representative example

On a purchase price of £600: a 10% deposit of £60, then 48 monthly payments of £13 at 5.9% APR representative (fixed). Total amount payable £684, including the deposit. The rate you are offered depends on your business and the asset.

What buyers actually specify

Guide prices for sizing a finance agreement, not quotes. Manufacturers in this market mostly price on application, so where a current UK list price could not be confirmed the row describes a specification class rather than naming a model. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.

Machine or specification Guide price Type
Standard Controlled Drugs Cabinet (single shelf) £140 – £360 Standard CD Cabinet
Medicine Cabinet with Integral CD Compartment £530 – £925 Combined Medicine/CD Cabinet
Larger Capacity CD Cabinet (90–108 litre) £925 – £1,300 High-Capacity CD Cabinet

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Tax benefits

Controlled drugs cabinets qualify for the Annual Investment Allowance, so a purchase or HP agreement can usually be deducted against taxable profit in the year of purchase, and lease payments are deductible in full as they are paid.

Market context

Controlled drugs cabinets are bought by every registered pharmacy, since safe custody storage for controlled drugs is a basic legal requirement of dispensing, and also by GP practices, care homes and hospital wards that hold controlled drugs on site. Most pharmacies buy a cabinet as part of a wider dispensary fit-out rather than as a standalone purchase, since a single cabinet is a modest cost against the rest of a dispensary build. Cabinet construction and how controlled drugs must be recorded are subject to specific legal requirements, and a pharmacy should confirm current specification and record-keeping standards with its superintendent pharmacist or professional body before ordering, rather than relying on a supplier's marketing description alone. Because this is a low-cost, standard fixture, the used market is limited and most pharmacies buy new.

Bad credit?

Several of our 200+ lenders specialise in businesses with imperfect credit histories. You may need a larger deposit or personal guarantee, but options exist. Checking your options here does not affect your credit score, because we do not run a credit search to match you. A lender will run their own checks only if you decide to apply.

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Frequently asked questions

Is it worth financing something as inexpensive as a controlled drugs cabinet?
On its own, rarely; a single cabinet is usually bundled with a wider dispensary fit-out or a new pharmacy opening rather than financed in isolation. Where it's part of a larger equipment or fit-out purchase from the same supplier, including it on the same agreement is straightforward and keeps everything on one payment schedule rather than paying for a small item separately.
How do I know which controlled drugs cabinet meets current legal requirements?
Cabinet construction and controlled drugs record-keeping are governed by specific legal requirements that a pharmacy needs to meet regardless of how the cabinet is paid for. We'd always recommend confirming the current specification with your superintendent pharmacist, your professional body, or your local NHS integrated care board contracting team before ordering, rather than relying solely on a supplier's product description, since standards can be updated.
Can I finance a controlled drugs cabinet alongside a new dispensing robot or blister packer?
Yes, a CD cabinet is commonly financed on the same agreement as other dispensary equipment bought at the same time, such as a dispensing robot or a blister packing machine, provided everything is itemised on the supplier's invoice. Bundling it this way is standard practice for a new pharmacy opening or a dispensary refit. Keeping every dispensary item on one agreement also makes it easier to track the full cost of a refit, rather than juggling several separate finance schedules with different start and end dates.
Is hire purchase or a lease better for a controlled drugs cabinet?
Most pharmacies choose hire purchase, since a CD cabinet is a fixed, long-life fitting that the pharmacy wants to own outright rather than return at the end of a term. A pharmacy operating from a short-term or leased premises with an uncertain future sometimes prefers a shorter lease instead, to avoid owning a fixture it may not be able to take with it.
How quickly can controlled drugs cabinet finance be approved?
Given the modest cost involved, most applications are approved within 24 hours and are typically same-day, provided the pharmacy has a clean credit history and a straightforward supplier quote. Where the cabinet is part of a larger dispensary fit-out application, approval follows the timeline of the wider project rather than the cabinet on its own. Given how low the cost typically is relative to other pharmacy equipment, this is rarely the item that determines how quickly an overall dispensary application can proceed.

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