The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7240 p356
15 March 2003

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PGDs to be allowed for some CDs

Patient group directions for some Controlled Drugs are to be legalised. Currently, CD law prohibits the supply of CDs under PGDs.

The Home Office is consulting on slimmed down proposals originating from the Department of Health and Medicines Control Agency to allow nurses working in coronary care units and accident and emergency departments to use diamorphine to treat cardiac pain. It also proposes to allow PGDs for non-injectable drugs in Schedule 4 Part 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (mostly benzodiazepines) and all drugs listed in Schedule 5 (low dose opiates).

The Health Department original proposal was that all Schedule 4 drugs should be eligible for supply under PGDs. But the Home Office took the view that injectable Schedule 4 drugs used in the treatment of drug dependence should be excluded because there is a Home Office policy to tighten, not loosen, the prescribing of CDs to treat dependence.

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs objected to the supply of anabolic steroids under PGDs because it thought that there was no identifiable need.

Comments can be sent to Naim Siddiqui, Communities and Law Enforcement Drugs Unit, Home Office (Room 243), 50 Queen Anne's Gate, London SW1H 9AT (e-mail Naim.Siddiqui@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk) until 7 April.

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