Independent Review of the Management of Controlled Drug Use in ...

In the Belfast Trust, the controlled drug policy has not yet been updated to
reflect non-medical prescribers, and the intention is to include them in the
general monitoring process. A central register of all non-medical prescribers
will be developed.
The South Eastern Trust has developed a policy for non-medical prescribers
who will be required to be on a trust register and include controlled drugs on
their parameters of prescribing if they are to be considered competent to
prescribe.
Pharmacist independent prescribers must complete the Northern Ireland
Centre for Pharmacy Learning and Development (NICPLD) distance learning
package for controlled drugs.
A non-medical prescribers’ subgroup has been set up to consider how
pharmacy and nursing non-medical prescribers will be audited.
Primary care prescriptions issued by non-medical prescribers who prescribe
controlled drugs are received regularly from the Health and Social Care Board
and checked against the prescriber’s agreed parameters of prescribing.
In the Southern Trust, the only non-medical prescribers who can prescribe
controlled drugs are those involved in palliative care, emergency department
and cardiac emergency nursing. All non-medical prescribers must provide the
AO with evidence of having successfully completed a course on controlled
drug prescribing. They must also provide a list of drugs that they are
competent to prescribe, signed by their mentor. A register will also be held.
In the Western Trust, all new non-medical prescribers apply to the trust nonmedical
prescriber working group for inclusion on the trust register. Details of
their parameters of prescribing are certified by their manager and lead
clinician. The AO meets with all applicants who must present evidence of
completion of the Northern Ireland online controlled drug course.
At present, only non-medical prescribers who work in accident and emergency
or palliative care can prescribe controlled drugs. Further governance
arrangements are being put in place to support future roll out in line with the
legislation.
In the Northern Trust at the time of the review there was no approved policy
involving controlled drug prescribing for non-medical prescribers, and so they
are not authorised to prescribe.
All trusts are at different stages in their development of non-medical
prescribing procedures, with some at an early stage of development.
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