The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 275 No 7369 p399
1 October 2005

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National templates should be produced for CD assessment

National templates should be developed to allow pharmacists, and all other primary care providers, to complete self-assessments on stocks and supply of Controlled Drugs, the Company Chemists Association and the National Pharmacy Association say in their responses to the Department of Health’s consultation on strengthened governance arrangements for the safer management of CDs.

The NPA is concerned that allowing primary care trusts to develop their own forms would mean little consistency across the UK. “A national template should be developed for all primary care providers to use and its use should become mandatory,” the NPA says.

Both organisations also warn that regulation and assessment may lead to an unnecessary bureaucratic burden being placed on pharmacists. They argue that measures should be introduced to ensure this does not happen.

Futher confusion may be caused, the NPA argues, by the requirement for NHS contractors to send self-assessments to their primary care trust, but for private pharmacies to send theirs to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

The NPA suggests that all pharmacies should return their self-assessment forms to the Society, with contracted pharmacies also sending a copy to the PCT, and that the Society and PCTs should then work together, with the PCT allowing the Society to inspect in the first instance.