More than 50 drug policy, public health and harm reduction experts have signed an open letter urging the UK Home Secretary to trigger legislation that is contained in the recently amended Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001. Such actions would allow additional flexibilities during the covid-19 pandemic pertaining to OST prescriptions such as methadone, benefitting patients and health care staff alike.
The Home Secretary has this week amended the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, providing Ministers with emergency powers concerning the supply of controlled drugs such as morphine in specified circumstances during a pandemic.
Ministers now have the option to trigger additional flexibilities during the covid-19 pandemic, such as allowing pharmacies to supply controlled medication without a prescription. Also, to allow supply of alternative medications should there be a shortage of a drug, this permits on-going treatment with alternative products where prescribed items are unavailable or are in short supply. The legislation also allows pharmacists without prescribing rights to change the frequency of instalments on prescriptions without the need for a new prescription from the prescriber.
We welcome the Home Secretary’s move last week to lay before parliament legislation which would allow some loosening of the regulations for controlled drugs. Given the urgency with which prescribers and pharmacists need to provide pain control and reduce severe breathing difficulty for patients with covid-19 this legislation needs to be enacted urgently.
We call on the Home Secretary to trigger the useful actions contained in the legislation without delay as this will benefit health care staff and most importantly patients.
Signed:
Dr Yasir Abbasi – Maudsley Health
Professor John Ashton – former president of the UK Public Health Association
Dr Rachel Britton – Director of Pharmacy, We Are With You
Professor Julia Buxton – Central European University
Dr Patricia Cantley – NHS Consultant, Edinburgh
Anna Codrea-Rado – Journalist, London
Professor Nicky Cullum – University of Manchester
Chris Daw QC – Serjeants’ Inn, London
Paul Delaney – coAim, Wexford.
Dr Suzanne Gage – University of Liverpool
Dr Matthew Gaskell – Consultant Psychologist, Leeds
Professor Simon Gilbody – University of York
Vanessa Gilmartin – Sociable Angels Ltd, Leeds
Roz Gittins – Humankind
Emily Goddard – Journalist, Bedfordshire
Ian Hamilton – University of York
Dr William Haydock – Public Health Dorset
Nick Hickmott – We Are With You, Kent
Dr Samei Huda – Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust
Professor Elizabeth Hughes – University of Leeds
Professor Sonia Johnson – University College London
John Jolly – ex CEO Blenheim Drug Project
Arfon Jones – Police and crime commissioner North Wales
Danny Kushlick – Campaigns Consultant, Bristol
Dr Garrett McGovern – Priority Medical Clinic, Dublin
Dr David Manley – Nottinghamshire NHS Foundation Trust
Dr Sally Marlow – Kings College London
Professor Fiona Measham – University of Liverpool
Dr Mark Monaghan – University of Birmingham
Mark Moody – CEO, Change Grow Live
Dr Rajesh Mohan – South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Steve Moore – Centre for Medicinal Cannabis
Professor Marcus Munafo – University of Bristol
Dr Russell Newcombe – 3D research, Liverpool
James Nichols – Transform Drug Policy Foundation
Professor David Nutt – Imperial College London
Professor Jolanta Opacka – University of Roehampton
Mike Power – Journalist, London
Dr Rob Ralphs – Manchester Metropolitan University
Jason Reed – Law Enforcement Action Partnership
Steve Rolles – Transform Drug Policy Foundation
Dr Tony Rao – South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Professor Toby Seddon – University of Manchester
Professor Alex Stevens – University of Kent
Professor Harry Sumnall – Liverpool John Moores University
Dr Andre Tomlin – The Mental Elf, Bristol.
Russell Webster – Consultant, Essex
Jo-Anne Welsh – CEO Oasis Project
Professor Robert West – University College London
Dr Emma Williams – Canterbury Christ Church University
Professor Adam Winstock – University College London
Dr Judith Yates – International Doctors for Healthier Drug Policies
Niamh Eastwood, Release, London
Paul North, Volteface, London
