Hospital Pharmacist
Vol 9 No 3 p61-62
March 2002

News summary

HPG seeks comments on risk management of aseptic preparation on hospital wards

Comments are being sought by the Hospital Pharmacists Group (HPG) on managing the risk of aseptic preparation on the wards.

Medical and nursing staff may undertake aseptic preparation and assembly activities under Section 9 and 11 exemptions of the Medicines Act, respectively. However, under the Controls Assurance Framework, chief pharmacists are responsible for carrying out a risk assessment of ward based activities.

An article in The Pharmaceutical Journal (9 February, p193) by Keith Farrar and Richard Needle (chairman and vice-chairman, respectively, of HPG) outlines the issues to consider in undertaking this risk assessment, including training, facilities, the aseptic process in question, validation to ensure the competence of staff, suitability of the environment, "fitness for purpose" of the products, and an audit process for detecting defective products.

Comments should be addressed to the HPG secretariat at 1 Lambeth High Street, London SE1 7JN (fax 020 7572 2501; e-mail lgriffiths@rpsgb.org.uk)