The Department of Health has recently published two new documents regarding the safer management of controlled drugs.
The first of these is the final guidance on the changes to record keeping requirements. The document clarifies, among other things, the current legal situation surrounding running balances and computerised registers.
The second document is the interim guidance on the destruction and disposal of controlled drugs. This document details the requirements for destruction of both stock and patient returned controlled drugs as well as detailing who can witness the destruction.
Action: These documents are a useful (and official) summary of the legal changes that are affecting management of controlled drugs.