Department of Health

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Further activity in 2006

  • Last modified date:
    8 February 2007
  • Introduction of requirement that all healthcare providers holding stocks of controlled drugs should have and comply with the terms of an agreed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP);
  • Some changes to the NHS prescription form to allow all prescriptions for controlled drugs to be correctly allocated to the individual prescriber and (subject to strict safeguards on confidentiality) to the individual patient;
  • Broadening the groups of people authorised to witness the detruction of controlled drugs;
  • Discretion for pharmacists (in closely defined circumstances) to correct technical errors in prescriptions where the prescriber's intention is clear, even if the prescriber cannot be contacted at the time.

Further guidance will be issued on this site to support the implementation of the changes.

Plans for the future

  • We are piloting the use of a Patient Drug Record Card in a number of PCTs to look at the best ways of auditing the use of certain controlled drugs in a patient's home.
  • We are working with the agencies responsible for IT in the NHS to improve collection of information on controlled drugs to deliver a clear picture of the supply and demand for controlled drugs and patterns in prescribing.

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