New Standard Operating Procedure - Supplying Opioid Medicines, National Pharmacy Association, UK

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 27 Jul 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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The NPA has produced a new standard operating procedure (SOP) for the supply of opioid medicines. The document provides details of the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) rapid response report: Reducing Dosing Errors with Opioid Medicines. Further information resources about opioid medicines and a standard template SOP which members can modify to correspond with their own pharmacy, are also included in the document.

Michelle Styles, NPA Head of Information, comments: "The NPSA guidance is designed to help NHS organisations, including community pharmacies, in England and Wales to take steps to minimise dosing errors associated with opioid medicines. The NPSA report recommendations should be implemented by 30 January 2009 so the NPA SOP will help members implement any necessary changes to meet this deadline."

Although applicable directly to England and Wales, the SOP resource may also be of interest to pharmacy contractors from Scotland and Northern Ireland. All NPA SOPs and information materials can be found within the NPA Document Store area.

What are Opioids?

For more information on what opioids are, and opioid-induced constipation (OIC), please see:
All About Opioids and Opioid-Induced Constipation (OIC)

http://www.npa.co.uk

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