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Controlled Drugs
This section contains information on the post Shipman changes to the legal framework around the use and management of controlled drugs. It signposts the user to the relevant legislation and guidance from Government, professional bodies and other agencies.
Overview
Published: 09/03/2006
Overview of the the relevant legislation and guidance from Government, professional bodies and other agencies
What's new
13 October 2008: Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001
(Gateway reference number: 10636) This confirms that a group licence allowing the supply or offer to supply diazepam and/or morphine sulphate injection or oral required for the purpose of immediate and necessary patient treatment covers NHS ambulance trusts, NHS paramedics and privately employed (including self employed) paramedics.
Safer management of Controlled Drugs: guidance
Safer management of controlled drugs: a guide to good practice in secondary care (England)
Published: 23/10/2007 13:20
This document promotes the safe and effective use of controlled drugs in healthcare organisations providing secondary care. The guidance incorporates legislative changes made in July 2007 and will support healthcare professionals and organisations in implementing the new arrangements.
Safer management of controlled drugs: changes to requirements for requisitions for the supply of schedule 1, 2 and 3 controlled drugs. Interim guidance (for England only)
Published: 07/02/2008 14:51
This guidance is to inform and support relevant health and social care professionals, organisations and suppliers of controlled drugs in implementing changes to the requirements in respect of requisitions used for the supply of schedule 1, 2 and 3 controlled drugs.
Safer Management of Controlled Drugs (CDs): Changes to Record Keeping Requirements Guidance (For England only)
Published: 28/01/2008
This guidance informs and supports relevant healthcare professionals and organisations in implementing changes to the record keeping requirements for Controlled Drugs (CDs) required by changes made to 'The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001' set out in SI 2006/1450 and SI 2006/2178 &.. This guidance also informs and supports relevant healthcare professionals and organisations in implementing changes required to the format of the Controlled Drugs Register (CDR) and the headings/titles of the columns used to capture the mandatory fields of information
Guidance on the destruction of controlled drugs - new role for Accountable Officers
Published: 17/12/2007 11:57
This guidance is to inform relevant health and social care professionals and organisations about changes to the role of Accountable Officer for controlled drugs which now enable them to authorise people, or groups of people to witness the destruction of controlled drugs.
Safer management of controlled drugs: (1) guidance on strengthened governance arrangements
Published: 01/01/2007
The purpose of this guidance is to promote the safe and effective use of all controlled drugs. The guidance sets out strengthened governance arrangements for controlled drugs in England.
Final guidance - Safer management of controlled drugs (CDs): changes to record-keeping requirements
Published: 12/10/2006
The purpose of this guidance is to inform and support relevant healthcare professionals and organisations in implementing changes to the record keeping requirements for controlled drugs required by recent changes to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001. This guidance supersedes the document Safer Management of Controlled Drugs: Changes to Record Keeping Requirements (Interim Guidance - June 2006).
Interim guidance - safer management of controlled drugs: guidance on the destruction and disposal of controlled drugs
Published: 12/10/2006
The purpose of this guidance is to inform relevant health and social care professionals and organisations about changes to the arrangements for safe and legal destruction and disposal of stock controlled drugs. They will not apply to medicines returned by patients.
Safer management of controlled drugs: Private CD prescriptions and other changes to the prescribing and dispensing of controlled drugs
Published: 03/07/2006
This document sets out the action required to implement a series of changes to the way controlled drugs (CDs) for human use are prescribed and dispensed and the monitoring of this activity. The arrangements came into force on 1 April 2006 and have now been given statutory backing in the Misuse of Drugs regulations which will come into effect on 7 July 2006.
Governance arrangements (monitoring and inspection)
Relevant provisions in the Health Bill, and guidelines on governance, monitoring and inspection.
Computerised prescriptions and registers
Early changes in the legislation governing controlled drugs made through amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations
Changes to prescribing and dispensing of controlled drugs
Further changes will be introduced, subject to Parliamentary approval where required, in the Summer 2006
Safer management of controlled drugs: the Government's response to the fourth report of the Shipman Inquiry
December 2004: The government set out a comprehensive programme of action to strengthen the safeguards for patients and the general public, while ensuring that patients who need controlled drugs can still get access to them.
Additional links
Related links
The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001
Controlled Drugs are those substances which are listed in in schedules one to five of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations.
Healthcare Commission
The Government has made the Healthcare Commission responsible for overseeing the regulation of the management of controlled drugs by healthcare providers in England.
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