CQC: Controlled drugs annual update report for 2024 published
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The CQC’s 2024 update on controlled drugs lays bare both progress—and emerging risks—for social care.
What Was the Report About?
The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) annual update reviews how controlled drugs (CDs) are managed and used across health and social care in England, based on activity through 2024 (and early 2025). It reflects on regulatory oversight, inspection findings, intelligence network input, and prescribing trends.
Key Takeaways for Social Care Staff
1. Stable Overall Prescribing, But with Shifts
· In 2024, there were 74.16 million controlled drug items prescribed through primary care—a slight 0.4% rise from 2023.
· Specific increases:
o ADHD medications (e.g. dexamfetamine, methylphenidate)
o Testosterone
· Decreases in prescribing of older medicines like pholcodine, pethidine, fentanyl, and some benzodiazepines and hypnotics.
2. Non-Medical Prescribing Surged
· Prescriber roles outside of doctors expanded rapidly:
o Pharmacists are now responsible for over half of non-medical prescribing.
o Paramedic independent prescribers saw a whopping 704% increase in CD prescribing, enabled by new legislation at the end of 2023.
3. Emerging Risks & Red Flags
· Fraud and diversion: Worrying instances where CDs are misappropriated—either by care or health professionals, impersonators, or via falsified prescriptions.
· End-of-life care access issues: Difficulties ensuring timely and safe access to CDs in care homes for those in palliative stages.
4. Learning from Coroner Reports
· The CQC highlights themes from “Prevention of Future Death” reports, underscoring how systemic failures around CDs—such as poor storage, lack of audit, or diversion—have been a contributing factor in deaths.
Why This Matters to Social Care Teams
· Stronger vigilance required: From care homes to domiciliary services, staff must be extra cautious around how CDs are stored, administered, and monitored. Auditing controlled drugs administration plays a key role.
Safer management of controlled drugs infographic