Journey
Respond to a medicines or controlled drugs incident
What to do when a medicines incident occurs: medication error, controlled drug discrepancy, or CD theft/loss. Covers securing the patient and evidence, internal reporting, statutory notifications to CQC, MHRA Yellow Card, police notification for CD theft, investigation, Accountable Officer responsibilities, and corrective actions.
If a medicines incident has occurred - a medication error, a controlled drug discrepancy, or suspected theft or loss of controlled drugs - this guide helps you respond correctly. Patient safety comes first, followed by evidence preservation, internal reporting, and statutory notifications.
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Secure the patient and the scene
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Report internally
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Make statutory notifications
Medicines and controlled drugs compliance
Controlled drug register requirements, Accountable Officer duties, standard operating procedures for CD management, and statutory notification obligations for CD incidents.
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Investigate the incident
Clinical governance and quality frameworks
Governance structures for incident investigation, learning from events, clinical audit, and CQC well-led requirements for healthcare providers.
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Implement corrective actions
Medical devices compliance
If a medical device was involved in the incident, review your obligations for adverse incident reporting, device maintenance, and MHRA notifications.