CD registers are to be centralised at Prescription Pricing Authority
Other recommendations
· NHS prescription forms to be redesigned
so that they can be marked as CD prescriptions and include patient
identifiers
· Private prescribers to use serial numbered forms obtained
from the PPA
· Copies of all dispensed CD prescriptions to be sent to the
PPA for reconciliation against central records
· Pharmacists to have some freedom to dispense CD prescriptions
that have technical irregularities
· Records to be kept for 11 years, rather than the current
two years |
Central records of all community pharmacy Controlled Drug registers are to be kept by the Prescription Pricing Authority once electronic CD registers are in common use.
In addition, transactions are to be monitored through the supply chain
from manufacturer to individual pharmacies so that pharmacy registers
can be reconciled with supplies they have received and prescriptions
they have dispensed. Pharmacists will be expected to try to verify the
identity of anyone collecting dispensed CDs and to record this information.
These are some of the ways in which the Government proposes to implement
recommendations from the fourth report of the Shipman Inquiry.
A recommendation that patients prescribed Schedule 2 injectable CDs,
such as diamorphine, should keep their own records of use so that unused
supplies can be reconciled for destruction is to be piloted first to
assess the likely costs and benefits.
The Government has rejected the inquiry recommendation of a nationally
co-ordinated CD inspectorate. Instead, all health care organisations
will have to nominate a senior person to be responsible for managing
the use of CDs. Health care organisations, police forces, social services
and relevant inspection bodies will be given a statutory duty to share
information about potential CD offences.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society,
the Healthcare Commission and the Commission for Social Care Inspection
will be asked to assess the management of CDs in all inspections or assessments
they carry out. GP practices that hold CDs will be subject to random
inspection by primary care trusts.
This response is a joint response from the Department of Health and the
Home Office. It makes it clear that all proposed changes that are to
be made by amending Controlled Drugs or medicines legislation will apply
across the UK. But other changes, such as those involving the Healthcare
Commission and PCTs, are for England only. It will be for the devolved
administrations to decide what to do in Wales, Scotland and Northern
Ireland about other administrative matters.
Mandie Lavin, director of fitness to practise and legal affairs at the
Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said that the Society had worked with the
DoH to help it find
solutions to problems identified by the Shipman Inquiry. “In particular,
through our working party chaired by Elizabeth Filkin, we have considered
the key issues raised, such as inspection arrangements, CD registers
and the destruction of unused CDs,” she said. “We support
the Government’s response and will work collaboratively with them
to put in place effective safeguards.” |
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