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About the SPS Medicines Governance Do Once Programme

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The programme reduces duplication of effort and improves quality and consistency through national PGD templates and Medicines Policy and Governance principles

Contents
  1. Background
    1. National recommendations
    2. SPS implementation
  2. Medicines Policy and Governance Principles
  3. National PGD templates
    1. Process for creating templates
    2. Published national templates
    3. Exemplar PGD templates
  4. Further information
  5. Update history

Background

National recommendations

Lord Carter’s review into unwarranted variations in mental health and community health services recommends improving both efficiency and productivity in the NHS by standardising the development and distribution of PGDs, medicines policies, and other essential organisational governance documents. The aim is to release local resource that can be redeployed to optimise outcomes from medicines use.

SPS implementation

SPS established a Medicines Governance Do Once (MGDO) Programme Board to oversee production of “Do Once” templates and products to meet the identified recommendations.

Using programme outputs

The outputs are intended for use by NHS commissioned and publicly funded services in England, and will benefit them by providing and ensuring:

  • Consistency, quality and reduced variability
  • Alignment with national guidance
  • Increased organisational capacity releasing local resources to work within other medicines optimisation areas

Medicines Policy and Governance Principles

Medicines policy and governance principles are developed with the aim of enabling the dissemination of key points for local consideration.

Medicines policies, governance principles and associated resources will be developed using existing good practice examples and consensus opinion from SMEs, who are recognised leaders in their area.

National PGD templates

PGD templates are developed by Short Life Working Groups (SLWGs) which include Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and relevant national clinical bodies. SMEs are recognised leaders working in the clinical environment in which the PGD(s) will be used.

The templates have an expiry date and will be reviewed and re-released prior to reaching this. Earlier review will be undertaken where relevant changes to the product SmPC or other updated guidance are apparent.

PGDs are not always the best solution, and you should consider SPS advice on appropriateness and alternative mechanisms for supply and administration of medicines discussed in When Patient Group Directions are not required

The MGDO programme also produces national ‘flu vaccination Written Instructions templates to support the vaccination of healthcare staff. These templates are available here

Process for creating templates

Further detail on the process by which templates are created and reviewed by SPS

Published national templates

The Templates page contains the published national templates.

Exemplar PGD templates

Exemplar blank PGD templates, based on the versions used to develop the national PGD templates by SPS, are available and organisations may decide to use these when developing their own PGDs.

There are two PGD templates: one specifically for antimicrobials and one for all other suitable medicines.

Access the SPS National Medicines Governance Do Once programme – national Patient Group Direction (PGD) exemplar templates

Further information

Additional resources on the Medicines Governance Do Once programme

Update history

  1. Updated work plan added
  1. Updated workplan and PGD process added. New protocol process added.
  1. Updated workplan added to reflect recent publication
  1. Updated PGD workplan added
  1. Updated PGD and WI development processes added
  1. Page re-formatted with minor content amendments.
  1. Updated to reflect addition of antimicrobial PGD exemplar template.
  1. Published