Guidance published on safer CD management in secondary care
Secondary care CD management will be brought into line with that
in primary care |
Guidance to promote the safe and effective use of Controlled Drugs in secondary care in England is published
this week by the Department of Health and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
The guidance aims to support health care professionals and organisations
in implementing new governance arrangements and legislative changes — in
particular, the role of the accountable officer — following the
Government’s response to the fourth report of the Shipman Inquiry.
It brings secondary care into line with primary care, for which guidance
has already been issued by the National Prescribing Centre. Systems for
procuring, storing, supplying, transporting, prescribing, administering,
recording and disposing safely of CDs are set out in the guidance; it
does not provide advice on the clinical choice or use of CDs.
Chapters cover the new legislation and governance arrangements as well
as the management of CDs in pharmacy departments, wards, operating theatres
and in specific circumstances, such as use of patients’ own drugs,
out-of-hours supply and temporary closure of wards. There is also a chapter
on staff training for managing CDs.
The guidance incorporates recent changes to working practices, specifically
the contribution of pharmacy technicians and other health care professionals,
and explains how these fit into the existing legal framework.
The Society was commissioned by the DoH to produce the guidance following
consultation with a multidisciplinary stakeholder group. Robert Clayton,
the Society’s head of practice told The Journal: “The
guidance must be applied and implemented in conjunction with each accountable
officer to ensure that CDs are supplied appropriately and when needed.”
“Safer
management of Controlled Drugs: a guide to good practice in secondary
care (England)” is intended to build on the advice
on CDs provided in the revised Duthie report (PJ, 5
March 2005, p264).
Article p555 |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
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