Guidance

This section contains a number of documents which provide guidance to support healthcare professionals and organisations in implementing the new strengthened governance arrangements for controlled drugs.in Northern Ireland

It includes the guidance for healthcare organisations providing secondary care which was published in August 2009.

The Safer Management of Controlled Drugs - A guide to good practice in primary care (Northern Ireland) was first published August 2010 and revised in July 2011 (version 2).  A list of amendments can be found on pages 112-115 of the revised guidance.

The document has been written to provide guidance for healthcare workers and organisations within primary care settings on the safe managment and use of controlled drugs.  It describes the legislative changes which have been made as a result of the Government's response to the Fourth Report of the Shipman Inquiry.

The guidance will act as a key support to primary care providers in ensuring that there are robust systems for obtaining, storing, supplying, recording, monitoring and disposing safely of controlled drugs while, at the same time, helping to ensure appropriate and convenient access for those patients who require them.

Please note that this guidance was revised in July 2011