CD regulation changes post-Shipman should apply to all health care professionals, says Society
Controlled Drugs: controls must be balanced with need to ensure
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Any changes to the regulations for Controlled Drugs following the Shipman
Inquiry should apply to all health professionals in both the NHS and the private sector, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society said this week.
The Society also urged that patients should be made aware of any amendments
that might affect the validity of their prescription for a CD or the
need to provide identification when they want the drug dispensed. The
comments come in the Society’s official response (PDF 190K) to
the joint consultation from the Department of Health and Home Office
on government
proposals
to tighten the regulations around CDs following the inquiry into mass
murderer and GP Harold Shipman.
New regulations being put forward by the Government would reduce the
maximum validity of a prescription for a CD from 91 to just 28 days and
would require dispensers to ask for the name, address and some kind of
personal identification of a patient collecting a CD from a pharmacy.
Health professionals requesting a CD on behalf of a patient would also
be expected to provide identification.
The Society said it supported action to improve the management of the
use of CDs and the “strengthening” of safeguards to prevent
poor practice.
But Lynsey Balmer, the Society’s head of professional ethics said: “We
believe strengthened controls must be balanced with the need to ensure
that patients can readily access Controlled Drugs that are necessary
for their clinical care. It is important that the requirements of the
Misuse of Drugs Regulations apply to all health professionals who handle
Controlled Drugs and that equivalent controls and monitoring arrangements
should exist for both the NHS and the private sector.”
The Government should also ensure it provides up-to-date guidance to
health professionals as well as detailed information to patients outlining
any changes, to coincide with any amendments to the regulations.
Healthcare Commission Gillian Arr-Jones, senior
professional adviser for pharmacy at the Healthcare Commission, has
been appointed deputy head of Controlled Drugs regulation at the
commission.
Hers is one of four senior appointments arising from the Shipman
Inquiry. Simon Gillespie, the commission’s head of operations,
has been designated senior officer for Controlled Drugs regulation
and Paul Fredericks has joined the commission
from the Charity Commission as head of Controlled Drugs regulation. Duncan
White has been seconded from West Mercia Constabulary to act as
police liaison manager.
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