EDX/20/1154
Date of prep: December 2020
Prescribing information and
adverse events reporting
For healthcare professionals only
EDX/20/1154
Date of prep: December 2020
Prescribing information and
adverse events reporting
For healthcare professionals only
A letter has been sent from the UK Home Secretary to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to advise on COVID-19 emergency measures to enable the supply of controlled drugs.
The letter from the Rt Hon Priti Patel MP, asks the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to advise on three potential measures that would enable the supply of medicines containing controlled substances in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Home Secretary intends to put in place emergency measures to:
The Home Secretary has said that these measures help secure access to controlled drugs within the healthcare system in a pandemic and where there is a serious risk to human health.
She states in the letter that they have been designed to ensure patients continue to have access to medicines critical for on-going treatment, build resilience and help relieve pressure elsewhere in the health system.
She has said that there are risks of making these changes related to greater access to controlled drugs and risk of diversion or misuse which have been taken into account in developing the measures.
The request of the ACMD is to advise on the potential harms or risks relating to these three measures, and the balance of the harms and risks of not proceeding in the current exceptional circumstances.
Emergency supply without prescription
The Home Secretary is proposing to legislate to allow registered pharmacies to supply schedule 2, 3 and part 1 schedule 4 substances without a prescription, where the patient has been receiving them as part of on-going treatment.
The following safeguards have been suggested:
The measures would apply in England, Wales and Scotland. The Department of Health in Northern Ireland has said that it supports the proposals and indicated that it will introduce similar measures to align with Great Britain.
Serious shortage protocols
Serious shortage protocols (SSPs) are currently not available for use for Schedule 2, 3 and Part 1 Schedule 4 substances. The Home Secretary has said that there is a significant risk of supply shortages, given the impact of COVID-19 on the supply chain. She, therefore, has proposed to allow SSPs to apply to these substances in anticipation of possible shortages.
The following safeguards have been suggested:
Frequency of instalments on instalment prescriptions
As part of efforts to free-up capacity and maintain the safe supply of medicines, the proposals seek to allow pharmacists to vary the frequency of supply from an instalment prescription, following the instructions of the prescriber or their appointed representative of the NHS service responsible for the original prescription (if available). For example, moving from “three times a week” to “once a week”. These instructions could be by phone or email but, if by phone, must be followed up by written confirmation. The total quantity supplied would remain as specified on the prescription.
The Home Secretary has said that these proposals will also minimise social contact within pharmacies, helping to protect front-line staff and patients by enabling reductions in the frequency of collections of medication.
The following safeguards have been suggested:
Pharmacists would be expected to use their professional judgement, relying on their knowledge and experience of working with a range of patients, albeit this will be an additional responsibility that they will not have had to date. Existing clinical guidance and best practice should be maintained as far as possible.
You can read the full letter from the Home secretary below.
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