Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the existing licensing scheme for access to controlled drugs in UK care homes.

Most care homes will not require a licence to access medicines containing controlled drugs for patients who need them. This is because care homes run by public authorities or charities are exempt from the need for a licence. In addition, all care homes with nursing provision are exempt from needing a licence for medicines containing controlled drugs in Schedules 3-5 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, and Schedule 2 drugs in circumstances where medication is patient prescribed. Any care home that does need a licence can apply for one from the Home Office. Details of how to register and then apply are available on GOV.UK.

No recent assessment has been made of the adequacy of the current controlled drugs licensing regime specifically in relation to care homes, however information about the process is easily available and the Home Office regularly receives applications from care homes to which it gives due consideration. Additionally, the Care Quality Commission provides guidance and tools to healthcare providers around the use of controlled drugs in care, and supports collaboration and consistent practice through its Controlled Drugs National Group.