§ Mr. HammondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to seek an amendment of the law to permit hospital operating department practitioners lawfully to possess a stock of such controlled drugs as they may lawfully administer. [113558]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeI have been asked to reply.
We have no plans to amend the misuse of drugs legislation to authorise operating department practitioners (ODPs) to possess a stock of controlled drugs.
The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1985 authorise certain health professionals to order, supply, possess or prescribe controlled drugs in the practice of their professions. They include doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses and midwives, all of whom are subject to statutory regulation. ODPs—which are not a statutorily regulated profession—are not authorised to supply or possess controlled drugs. The 1985 Regulations also authorise any person other than a doctor to administer to a patient, in accordance with the directions of a doctor, any drug specified in schedule 2, 3 or 4 of the regulations.
Where a doctor, nurse or midwife supplies or possesses a controlled drug other than in the practice of their professions, the regulatory bodies are able to investigate and take appropriate action. Statutory regulatory bodies can also, if necessary, remove individuals from the professional register. This helps to ensure that health professionals employed within the NHS or private health care sector do not represent a risk to patients, colleagues or themselves. 64W We do not consider that the 1985 Regulations should be amended to authorise ODPs to supply and possess controlled drugs unless that group becomes subject to statutory regulation.