There have recently been a number of changes to the monitoring and inspection, prescribing, supply and record keeping requirements for Controlled Drugs. The changes, which are a mixture of legislative and good practice requirements, have led to a number of changes in day to day practice for pharmacists. This section outlines the changes, clarifies whether they are legislative or a matter of good practice and provides links to further information.
Contact:
Legal and Ethical Advisory ServiceThe Society has received a number of queries on the recent changes to the legislation on the management of Controlled Drugs. For answers to the most common queries, click on the link below that is most relevant to your query.
For answers to queries not covered here, contact:
Legal and Ethical Advisory ServiceThe Shipman Inquiry was set up on 31 January 2001 and was chaired by Dame Janet Smith DBE as an independent public inquiry into the issues arising from the case of Harold Shipman. The inquiry’s Fourth Report was published on 14 July 2004. It focused on the methods used by Shipman to divert large quantities of potentially lethal Controlled Drugs and the reasons it was possible for him to do so for so long without detection. The Shipman Inquiry concluded that there were shortcomings in the systems used for the safe management of CDs and made a number of recommendations to improve the management of CDs. It is this fourth report which has led to a number of changes in the management of CDs.