MEDICATION & RESEARCH
All Under Control
The adoption of new technologies is needed around the handing of controlled drugs to modernise processes and drive patient safety in hospitals, says Ed Platt, Automation Director of Omnicell UK & Ireland.
Handling of controlled drugs (CDs) within the hospital setting requires skill and attention to detail. In fact, the entire legal framework has been designed to minimise patient harm and drive safety.
However, developments have moved apace over the last 10 years and now there are many specific processes involved with the administering of these medicines which take up considerable staff resource and require regular training which needs updating in terms of procedures and an overarching umbrella policy.
Automated dispensing systems across pharmacies, wards and departments linked to digital systems have made significant progress with the handling of CDs. But now within a newly launched advisory report, experts say that these technologies should be recognised within a new legal framework with guidance to promote a more secure and efficient means for the ordering, storing, dispensing and administration of controlled drugs.
Currently, the legal framework for managing CDs in the hospital setting is a minimum standard, with the Home Office enforcing the legislation via the police to minimise patient harm, misuse and criminality. The CQC and the GPhC also have roles to play within this framework, as well as those healthcare practitioners on the ground handling and administering controlled drugs to patients.
The current processes include time-intensive record keeping practices and manual physical reconciliation of stock, oſten securely locked away in outdated storage facilities with limited capacity and accessibility issues.
UK pharmacies have sought to increase the use of technology to streamline the sorting and administration of medications with impressive outcome data and evidence and now, when new hospitals are planned or remodelling is being made to existing facilities, such is the success of this technology, that it will form the centrepiece to any new building concept.
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However, automated systems have only been used with CDs on a limited basis in a relatively small number of UK hospitals due to difficulties with compliance, along with legislative storage and record-keeping requirements. As such, most controlled drugs are still managed via traditional ‘lock and key’ medication cupboards supported by a paper ledger. But changes to this process are being made and now the recently published Health Building Note provides new best practice guidance on storage facilities for medications (including controlled drugs) to clarify the legislative and regulatory requirement including updated advice on automated drug storage cupboards.
It is hoped that the adoption of this updated guidance will reduce waste and improve consistency in the handling and administration of medications. A framework and standard operating procedures to ensure that this is statutory, now needs to follow.
Within the newly launched advisory report, which invited and interviewed a number of leading experts to input into the review and final document, the current legal framework for handling controlled drugs in hospitals was closely analysed. Equally, the principles relating to the handling of controlled drugs including the administration, supply process, the benefits of prescribing via the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS), the need for ‘wet’ signatures, as well as the principles of the safe custody and storage of CDs were also reviewed. The report also details an analysis of a series of principles with relation to CDs such as access, ordering, authorised staff, record keeping, as well as those related to stock checks, transportation and finally the disposal of unused controlled drugs.
The report found that the current problems in handling CDs within the hospital setting were both numerous and complex. These were largely driven and bought about by a time- intensive and complex mandatory record keeping process which included the manual reconciliation of stock involving
www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
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