The Proposals to include Schedules 2 and 3 Controlled Drugs Within the scope of the Electronic Prescription Service

Response form
Instructions for responding to the consultation
The Government wants your views on the proposals set out in the proposals to include Schedules 2 and 3 Controlled Drugs within scope of the Electronic Prescription Service. The response form below can be used to help you do that. 

You can find out more and respond to this consultation at: http://consultations.dh.gov.uk 

The closing date for responses is 9 October 2014.  

Responses received after this date may not be read. Consultation responses should be returned to: gillian.farnfield@dh.gsi.gov.uk.

Or if you would prefer to send your response by post: 

Gillian Farnfield
Department of Health
Room 453D
Skipton House
80 London Road
London
SE1 6LH

What we will do next
We will read and consider all responses and publish a response to the consultation. The Government response will set out how comments and views shaped the final decisions for controlled drugs to be prescribed within the scope of electronic prescription service.   

Full name:	

Job title:	

Organisation:		

Contact address:	

Telephone number:	

Email:	

We would appreciate it if all responses over five pages in length have a summary of the key response points.

Summary of key response points:

Consultation questions	

Current use of the NHS Electronic Prescription Service

Question 1: In the NHS, EPS can already be used for Schedules 2 and 3 controlled drugs (CDs). Do we enable NHS prescribed Schedules 2 and 3 CDs to be prescribed electronically – for England this would be EPS?

Please give reasons for your choice – comments are specifically sought about security.
 	Yes/No (please underline preference)

	
Private prescriptions	

Question 2: Do we enable privately-prescribed Schedules 2 and 3 CDs to be prescribed electronically? Please give reasons.
	Yes/No (please underline preference)

Question 3: We outline two options for enabling private prescriptions of Schedules 2 and 3 CDs to be prescribed electronically:

1)	 enable privately-prescribed Schedules 2 and 3 CD prescriptions using any system providing it has an advanced electronic signature (AES); or

2)	enable privately-prescribed Schedules 2 and 3 CD prescriptions to be electronic, but only where the prescriber/dispenser uses the NHS system, for England this would be EPS with its added security.
Do you have a preference for either of these options? Please give reasons for your choice.

Question 4: Are there any options we have not considered?		
Requirement that prescriptions for Schedules 2 and 3 Controlled Drugs has the total quantity written in words and figures	

Question 5: If prescriptions for Schedules 2 and 3 controlled drugs are going to be enabled to be electronic, do you think that the total quantity should be written in words and figures or can this requirement be removed? 

If yes, do you think the prescribing system should apply any safeguards to validate the quantity? Please give reasons for your view.
	
Yes/No (please underline preference)
	
Business and equality impacts	

Question 6: We do not consider a business impact assessment is needed. Do you consider there are any significant impacts on any sector involved in this policy?	
Yes/No (please underline preference)

Question 7: Are you aware of any equality issues or of any particular group for whom the proposed policy could have a detrimental effect?	
Yes/No (please underline preference)

Confidentiality of information 

If you would like any part of the content of your response (as distinct from your identity) to be kept confidential, you may say so in a covering letter. We would ask you to indicate clearly which part(s) of your response are to be kept confidential. We will endeavour to give effect to your request but as a public body subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information legislation, we cannot guarantee confidentiality. 
 
We manage the information you provide in response to this consultation in accordance with the Department of Health's Information Charter. Information we receive, including personal information, may be published or disclosed in accordance with the access to information regimes (primarily the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA), the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004). 
 
If you want the information that you provide to be treated as confidential, please be aware that, under the FOIA, there is a statutory Code of Practice with which public authorities must comply and which deals, amongst other things, with obligations of confidence. In view of this, it would be helpful if you could explain to us why you regard the information you have provided as confidential. If we receive a request for disclosure of the information we will take full account of your explanation, but we cannot give an assurance that confidentiality can be maintained in all circumstances. An automatic confidentiality disclaimer generated by your IT system will not, of itself, be regarded as binding on the Department.  

The Department will process your personal data in accordance with the DPA and, in most circumstances this will mean that your personal data will not be disclosed to third parties.