Controlled Drugs National Group

Page last updated: 11 July 2022
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Organisations we regulate


The group considers national controlled drugs governance in England.

It provides collaboration, consistency and assurance to government by:

  • sharing intelligence
  • highlighting good practice and areas of concern
  • reporting on the impact of controlled drugs arrangements

Membership of the national group

  • Care Quality Commission
  • Department of Health
  • General Medical Council
  • General Pharmaceutical Council
  • Health and Social Care Information Centre
  • Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons for England and Wales
  • Medicines Advice (Medicines and Prescribing Centre) National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
  • Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
  • Ministry of Defence
  • National Police Chiefs’ Council
  • NHS Counter Fraud Authority
  • NHS England (including Health and Justice Commissioning)
  • The Home Office
  • UK Anti-doping
  • Veterinary Medicines Directorate

Sub-Groups

Four sub-groups provide expert advice to the national group and issue newsletters. They cover these aspects of controlled drugs:

  • theft and fraud
  • monitoring prescribing
  • safe prescribing, dispensing and administration
  • policy and operational issues

Subgroup members are from the national group as well as invited specialists.

Sub-Group newsletters

These newsletters report the group’s findings. They signpost you to guidance and share examples of good practice and local initiatives for information. Providers may follow different approaches according to their local needs..

Latest newsletters

Controlled Drugs National Group newsletter: April 2021

Controlled Drugs National Group newsletter: December 2020

This gives an example of how a specific organisation responded locally to safety concerns around Alfentanil.

Controlled Drugs National Group newsletter: July 2020

Controlled Drugs National Group newsletter: April 2020

Controlled Drugs National Group newsletter: December 2019

Controlled Drugs National Group newsletter: July 2019

Controlled Drugs National Group newsletter: December 2018

Controlled Drugs National Group newsletter: August 2018

Controlled Drugs National Group newsletter: May 2018

Controlled Drugs National Group newsletter: volume 2, December 2017

Controlled Drugs National Group newsletter: volume 1, September 2017

Previous newsletters and guidance

See our earlier newsletters and guidance on safety incidents and checklists on the National Archives.