NICE calls for safer use of controlled drugs

GPs should advise patients on the safe storage of controlled drugs such as morphine, methadone, and diazepam, new guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) states.1

The guidance brings together legislation and existing advice to help minimise the potential harms associated with controlled drugs. A seven year review of safety incidents reported to the National Reporting and Learning System in England and Wales found that the risk of death was far greater with controlled drugs than with …