The fourth annual report on the safer management of controlled drugs regulations has been published by The Care Quality Commission (CQC). The report finds that there has been progress, with many instances of good innovative practice in the management of and sharing of concerns about controlled drugs.
The report highlights the importance of steps being taken to ensure this progress is maintained and the benefits of effective partnership working are not lost during the changes under way in primary care Trusts (PCTs). Recommendations made by the report include the need for chief executives and accountable officers to continue to keep the safe management of controlled drugs a high priority on their organisation’s agenda during the reorganisation of the NHS to ensure that the gains in safety made over the past four years are not lost. Chief executives and accountable officers should ensure that Controlled Drugs Local Intelligence Networks (CD LINs) have robust working arrangements and are fit for purpose and adequately prepared for the transition. Non-designated bodies should also be encouraged to participate more in the information-sharing process to ensure that intelligence-gathering is thorough and complete, capturing information from all sources, e.g. community pharmacists, the Ministry of Defence, care homes, substance misuse services and new provider services. All professionals and providers of care, whether practising in the NHS or independent sector, should take account of best practice guidance that is published by relevant professional bodies and agencies, and all sectors should be made aware of the document, Drug Misuse and dependence: UK guidelines on clinical management, and that it applies across all sectors.
