Please Ask For:Michelle Smith
Direct Line:01902 550154
Facsimile:01902 554163
E-mail:
20th May 2015
Dear pharmacy manager,
RE: SAFE STORAGE OF PRESCRIBED MEDICINE
On the 20th December 2013 a Serious Case Review was published by Wolverhampton’s Safeguarding Children Board. The review related to the death of a 23 month old who died on 29 May 2012. The post mortemfound heroin toxicity as a cause of death, a result of ingesting a quantity of the drug.
As a result of the review, an action plan detailing 44 recommendations for ways in which the agencies involved should work better was drawn up. Under health services recommendation number three cites:
“It is essential that advice is given and documented about safe storage to prevent accidental overdose, especially if there are children in the household. This should be the responsibility of all professionals involved including prescribers and dispensers (pharmacists)”.
Public Health has been working in conjunction with representatives from the Local Pharmaceutical Committee (LPC) in order to ensure this recommendation is complied with.
The supervised consumption contractoutlines requirements for the contractor to reduce the risk to local communities of accidental exposure to the supervised medicine, give harm reduction information and maintain appropriate records to ensure effective on-going service delivery and audit.
In line with these requirements and the serious case review recommendations Public Health are requesting each pharmacy contractor distributes a safe storage information leaflet to all clients (both supervised and unsupervised). Two copies of the leaflet will need to be completed with one copy retained by the pharmacist and signed by the client.We would strongly adviseas best practice pharmacies record as an intervention on the PMR.You will be required to submit a declaration each month with your normal monthly returns confirming that all existing and new clients have been given a leaflet.
Pharmacists should carry out this practice with all clients every six months in July and January. Please note if a client drops off script and returns to the same pharmacist a new signature does not need to be obtained if within 6 month period. If a client moves to another pharmacist they will obtain signature through new client process.
Please find enclosed a batch of safe storage leaflets(available from Public Health on the telephone number above) and declaration forms. Further copies of both are available by downloading and printing copies off the LPC website.
Yours faithfully,
Michelle Smith
Commissioning Officer
Public Health