Follow the conference on social media #controlleddrugs
“The effectiveness of the CDAO function remains as crucial as ever. The tragedies of Shipman and Gosport may be in the past, but we must continue to be alert. Health care is evolving at an unprecedented pace and those who seek to misuse, divert and cause harm with controlled drugs are also developing novel ways in which to do so.”
The Safer Management of Controlled Drugs Annual Report, Care Quality Commission, July 2026
“New models of care, modes of delivery, wider ranges of prescribers and a more complex health and care landscape overall gives rise to new risks with controlled drugs..”
The Safer Management of Controlled Drugs Annual Report, Care Quality Commission, July 2026
“we continue to hear of instances where workload and stress within the workplace have influenced people towards diversion and misuse.”
The Safer Management of Controlled Drugs Annual Report, Care Quality Commission, July 2026
“All prescribers must work within their scope of practice, and within the legal boundaries of their prescribing rights. Providers must be assured this is happening within their service, and that they do not encourage prescribers to work outside their scope of practice. Safe prescribing is a particular area of focus when we inspect services.”
The Safer Management of Controlled Drugs Annual Report, Care Quality Commission, July 2026
Key issues discussed at local intelligence network meetings include
The misuse of electronic systems by health and care professionals to generate and conceal inappropriate prescriptions for controlled drugs and the resulting diversion
Lack of governance processes, although organisations are sharing learning at LINs as a result of both audits and incidents.
People losing their prescribed controlled drugs while moving between services.
Diversion of controlled drugs in the lower schedules.
The National Controlled Drugs Conference focuses on ensuring the safer management of controlled drugs: diversion and abuse, prescribing and use. Aimed at Controlled Drugs Accountable Officers, Pharmacists, Police Controlled Drugs Liaison Officers, and Prescribers including Non Medical Prescribers, the conference will update you on current national developments, developing the role of the CDAO and improving practice through learning from case studies. There are also new sessions focusing on a case study on accounting for losses on a hospital ward, and a Coroner perspective and learning from the Coroner and Prevention of Future Deaths report.
The conference will also reflect on the 2026 CQC Controlled Drugs Annual Report which was published on the 9th July 2026, and explore the prescribing and governance of controlled drugs at the end of life.
“It is essential to ensure that people have access to good pain relief at the end of their lives. This means having appropriate access to the right controlled drugs…We continue to hear about challenges in the community in ensuring safe and timely access to controlled drugs required for end of life care.”
The Safer Management of Controlled Drugs Annual Report, Care Quality Commission, July 2026
This conference will enable you to:
Network with colleagues who are working to improve the safe use, prescribing and management of controlled drugs
Understand the national context including developments from the CQC
Assess practice against the RPS Standards for the governance and management of Controlled Drugs
Understand the scale of abuse and diversion of controlled drugs by healthcare professionals
Ensure effective Controlled Drugs Governance and learning from audit
Improve your skills in the identification and management of theft and abuse by staff
Learn from police investigations and inspections
Learn how the role of the Controlled Drugs Liaison Officer can be strengthened
Understand and develop the role of the Controlled Drugs Accountable Officer
Reflect on how electronic prescribing data can be used to improve controlled drugs monitoring
Improve your skills in the prescribing and prescribing governance of controlled drugs for the Non Medical Prescriber and controlled drugs
Reflect on the use and governance of controlled drugs at the end of life
Update your knowledge on learning from deaths involving controlled drugs, and using the Coroner Prevention of Future Deaths report to inform changes in practice
Improve practice in governance and prescribing of opioids
Reflect on a case study investigation and learning from losses on a hospital ward
Ensure lessons are learned from the investigation and reporting of controlled drugs incidents
Self assess and reflect on your own practice
Supports CPD professional development and acts as revalidation evidence. This course provides 5 hours training for CPD subject to peer group approval for revalidation purposes
