ForthValley Area Drug & Therapeutics Committee

(Forth Valley ADTC)

Constitution and Remit

March2013

The Area Drug and Therapeutics Committee (ADTC) will promote the effective, safe and efficient use of medicines through out NHSForthValley.

On behalf of the NHS Board, the Area Drug and Therapeutics Committee will:

  • Provide strategic advice on prescribing and medicine use
  • Advise and support the process for the managed entry of new medicines
  • Maintain the ForthValley Formulary
  • Adopt, implement and monitor strategies that support prudent antimicrobial prescribing
  • Approve local guidelines or policies related to prescribing or use of medicines
  • Support audit and review of existing patterns of prescribing
  • Approve documentation systems for prescribing
  • Approve medicine related information for patients
  • Support and monitor the development of non-medical prescribers
  • Approve patient group directions
  • Support the reporting and review of adverse drug reactions/incidents related to prescribing or the use of medicines and share knowledge on the lessons learned
  • Respond to national policies/advice relating to prescribing or the use of medicines
  • Identify the need for education and training in prescribing and medicine use
  • Provide timely communication of ADTC policy and decisions

The ADTC is supported by a number of subcommittees:

  • New Drugs Group
  • Antimicrobial Management Group
  • Wound Management Group
  • Primary Care Prescribing Group
  • Acute Drug and Therapeutics Committee
  • Primary Care Drug and Therapeutics Committee
  1. The committee will be composed of :

Current members of the Acute Services Drug & Therapeutics Committee, Primary Care Prescribing Group, Primary Care Services Drug and Therapeutics Committee and any members of constituent subgroup as follows:

  • Two consultants from the Acute Services
  • Two consultants from the Community Health Partnerships
  • Four General Practitioners from the Primary Care Prescribing Group
  • Five non- Medical Prescribers (two from the Primary Care Prescribing Group, one from the Primary Care Services Drug and Therapeutics Committee and two from the Acute Services Drug and Therapeutics Committee)
  • Five NHSForthValley employed Pharmacists (Two from the Acute Services and two from Primary Care (One from the Primary Care Prescribing Group and one from the Primary Care Services Drug and Therapeutics Committee.)
  • One Finance Manager
  • The Director of Pharmacy
  • One Consultant in Public Health Medicine
  • One Medical Director or deputy
  • One Finance Director or deputy
  • One Community Pharmacist nominated by the Area Pharmaceutical Committee
  • One Patient/Public representative
  1. The Area Drug and Therapeutics Committee will report to the NHS Forth Valley Joint Acute/CHP Clinical Governance Working Group.
  1. The term of office will normally be two years. All members will be eligible for re-appointment by their relevant membership groups and each group should nominate a deputy for each member.
  1. A Chairperson and a Vice Chairperson will be elected, from and by the members of the committee by a process of majority vote. Term of office will normally be two years. When the Chairperson is from the Acute Services the Vice Chairperson will normally be from Primary Care Services and vice versa. Terms of Chairmanship shall normally alternate between the Acute Services and Primary Care Services.
  1. Any member ceasing to be a member of the group he/she represents (from the Primary Care Prescribing Group, Primary Care Services Drug and Therapeutics Committee, Acute Services Drug and Therapeutics Committee, New Drugs/Formulary Group, Wound Management Group and Antimicrobial Management Group, NHS Forth Valley Health Board, Area Pharmaceutical Committee) will automatically cease to be a member of the Forth Valley Area Drug and Therapeutics Committee and a replacement will be decided by the group represented.
  1. Secretarial support for preparation of agendas and minute taking for the ADTC will be provided by Primary Care.

The Secretary will keep a list of members and their deputies and re-election dates. The Secretary will keep an annual list of members’ declared conflicts of interest.

The Secretary will keep names of members who have declared interests at meetings of the ADTC and Sub-Committees, giving dates, names of relevant products and companies, details of interest declared and whether the member took part in the proceedings.

Secretarial support for preparation of agendas and minute taking for the New Drugs /Formulary Group will be provided by the Primary Care.

Secretarial support for the agendas and minute taking for the Antimicrobial Management Group will be provided by the NHS Forth Valley Health Board.

7. Other members of the committees listed in the first paragraph may be co-opted to the committee as and when appropriate.

8. The committee can invoke sub-groups to take forward areas of joint working. A New Drugs/Formulary Sub-group, Antimicrobial Management Group, Wound Management Group will be maintained.

9. Officers from the NHSForthValley can be invited by prior agreement of committee members, to be in attendance at meetings.

10. Meetings take place approximately every 3 months on a pre-arranged date and time. The secretary will notify members of the agenda and papers approximately one week in advance of the meeting. The Committee will be quorate when one member from The Acute Services Drug and Therapeutics Committee, Primary Care Services Drug and Therapeutics Committee and Primary Care Prescribing Group is present, with a total minimum of 6 members present.

11. The constitution will be reviewed every two years or before if necessary, and changes made by consensus.

S:\PRESCRIBING SUPPORT\PRESCRIBING SUPPORT\ADTC\remit and membership\constitution\constitution and remit March 2013.doc