Follow the conference on Twitter #controlleddrugs
Find out more about virtual attendance
This hybrid conference focuses ensuring the Safer Management of Controlled Drugs: Diversion & Abuse, Prescribing and Use. Aimed at Controlled Drugs Accountable Officers, Pharmacists and Prescribers the conference will update you on current national developments, including issues arising with the supply and prescription of controlled drugs during COVID-19 and preparing for the potential implementation of Controlled drug legislation which has been enabled to “switch on” flexibilities for the supply of controlled drugs during a pandemic. These flexibilities have not been activated at this time. The conference will also discuss controls for pregabalin and gabapentin, and improve practice learning from case studies.
Published in July 2020, The safer management of controlled drugs annual report 2019, states that “The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted the need to be able to access controlled drugs rapidly to manage care for people at the end of life, but we must now learn from this for the future ....The level of controlled drug prescribing continues to increase year on year.”
“The failings at Gosport War Memorial Hospital were the result of a blanket approach to prescribing end of life medicines irrespective of the circumstances of individual patients. The lessons learned must not be forgotten as we now learn from our experiences during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve this: all healthcare professionals should consider the needs and wishes of patients and carers on an individual basis, particularly at the end of their life.” Read the report in full here
“The NHS has embarked on a journey to become one of the safest healthcare systems in the world as part of the NHS Long Term Plan. NHS England has a statutory duty to ensure that safe systems are in place for the management and use of controlled drugs. This is to prevent harm to patients and staff from any misuse of controlled drugs.Controlled Drugs are drugs that are subject to high levels of regulation as a result of government decisions about those drugs that are especially addictive and harmful.”
NHS England 2019
“There were almost 3,000 reports of “unaccounted-for losses” of CDs within the NHS in England during 2018/2019”
The Pharmaceutical Journal November 2019
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 and monitoring adherence to the NICE guidance
• Update your knowledge on the controls for pregabalin and gabapentin
• understand requirements for reuse of medicines in a care home or hospice
• Reflect on the implications of Covid-19
• 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
• Improve your skills in the identification and management of theft and abuse by staff
• Learn from police investigations and inspections
• Understand and develop the role of the controlled drugs accountable officer
• Improve your skills in the prescribing and prescribing governance of controlled drugs
• Understand how use electronic ordering and prescribing systems for controlled drugs
• Reflect on the use and governance of controlled drugs at the end of life
• Ensure lessons are learned from the investigation and reporting of controlled drugs incidents
• Self assess and reflect on your own practice
• Gain CPD accreditation points contributing to professional development and revalidation evidence
