Hospital Pharmacist
Vol 12 No 3 p85
March 2005

News summary

Revision of the Duthie report launched by the Society group

Safe and secure handling of medicines is reviewed in a new report published by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society this month. “The safe and secure handling of medicines: a team approach” is a revision of the 1988 Duthie report (PDF 500K). Increasing emphasis on clinical governance, growing awareness of medication errors and technological advances are among the reasons cited for the revision.

The report provides general guidance on the “medicines trail”, which covers all activities associated with a medicinal product, from initiation via a prescription and administration, to disposal of any waste material. Areas of medicine use are then covered in more detail, such as: wards, operating departments, intensive care units, out-patient departments and NHS Ambulances. There are also chapters covering clinical trials, and training and personnel. Hospital pharmacists may be particularly interested in the advice on self-administration of medicines, which was not included in the original report. Roger Tredree, chief pharmacist, St George’s Hospital, London and one of the revising editors of the report commented that “it fills in the gaps between legislation and NHS guidance and is an authoritative document that can be used on a day-to-day basis to support professional practice and underpin medicines risk management.”

The Society’s Hospital Pharmacists Group appointed a review group led by the late Professor Bryan Veitch in 1997. Further work was then undertaken to edit and revise the report. Many organisations subsequently contributed to the consultation process, including the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists, the Home Office, the Department of Health, the British Medical Association and many of the Royal Colleges. The chief pharmaceutical officers for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have all endorsed the report.