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“There are still risks from controlled drugs in the health and care system.”
The Safer Management of Controlled Drugs Annual Report, Care Quality Commission July 2025
“A recurrent theme is the lack of effective communication between healthcare providers and patients – both within care settings and across boundaries of care. Several deaths have been attributed to not sharing or adequately communicating information in a timely way… The failure to update and share critical medicines information across care settings is a significant risk to patient safety. Health and care systems need to ensure seamless communication and accurate record-keeping, particularly when managing controlled drugs.
The Safer Management of Controlled Drugs Annual Report, Care Quality Commission July 2025
“Our findings from both inspections and prescribing data indicate that healthcare professionals are working outside their scope of practice, and in some cases, outside of the law. To ensure people receive safe care, all healthcare professionals must work within their scope of practice.”
The Safer Management of Controlled Drugs Annual Report, Care Quality Commission July 2025
“Prescribing controlled drugs carries the risk of misuse, which puts healthcare professionals in the difficult position of determining whether a patient's request is genuine. Assuming drug-seeking behaviour without thoroughly reviewing a patient's history has resulted in serious consequences.”
The Safer Management of Controlled Drugs Annual Report, Care Quality Commission July 2025
“CQC expects that issues and concerns raised by the CDAO are discussed at board level and that these will be prioritised and scrutinised as appropriate for the specific circumstances.”
The Safer Management of Controlled Drugs Annual Report, Care Quality Commission July 2024
“We know that these incidents are not always reported to us, and we encourage services to report any instances associated with controlled drugs that meet these thresholds to us as soon as possible.”
The Safer Management of Controlled Drugs Annual Report, Care Quality Commission July 2025
“Good governance is central to the safe and effective management of controlled drugs… Make sure your governance processes are up-to-date and fit for purpose.”
The Safer Management of Controlled Drugs, Care Quality Commission
“We often hear that CDAOs are not resourced effectively.”
The Safer Management of Controlled Drugs Annual Report, Care Quality Commission July 2025
“Key issues discussed at local intelligence network meetings include Diversion of controlled drugs: - by health and care professionals and support staff - in the lower schedules - through using electronic systems to conceal the theft. ”
The Safer Management of Controlled Drugs Annual Report, Care Quality Commission July 2025
The National Controlled Drugs Virtual Conference focuses ensuring the Safer Management of Controlled Drugs: Diversion & Abuse, Prescribing and Use. Aimed at Controlled Drugs Accountable Officers, Pharmacists, Police Controlled Drugs Liaison Officers, and Prescribers including Non Medical Prescribers, the conference will update you on current national developments, developing the role of the CDAO and improve practice learning from case studies. There is also new sessions focusing on a case study on accounting for losses on a hospitals ward, and a Coroner Perspective; learning from the Coroner and Prevention of Future Deaths reports following the 2025 CQC findings.
This conference will enable you to:
Network with colleagues who are working to improve the safe use, prescribing and management of controlled drugs
Understand the national context including developments from the CQC
Assess practice against the RPS Standards for the governance and management of Controlled Drugs
Understand the scale of abuse and diversion of controlled drugs by healthcare professionals
Ensure effective Controlled Drugs Governance and learning from audit
Improve your skills in the identification and management of theft and abuse by staff
Learn from police investigations and inspections
Learning from Syringe Driver related controlled drugs incidents
Understand and develop the role of the controlled drugs accountable officer
Improve your skills in the prescribing and prescribing governance of controlled drugs the Non Medical Prescriber and controlled drugs
Reflect on the use and governance of controlled drugs at the end of life
Update your knowledge on learning from deaths involving controlled drugs, and using the Coroner Future of Deaths report to inform changes in practice
Improve practice in governance and prescribing of opioids
Reflect on a case study investigation and learning from losses on a hospital ward
Ensure lessons are learned from the investigation and reporting of controlled drugs incidents
Self assess and reflect on your own practice
Supports CPD professional development and acts as revalidation evidence. This course provides 5 Hrs training for CPD subject to peer group approval for revalidation purposes
