Mixing of medicines

Intravenous news: The MHRA published the outcome of MLX 356 on the mixing of medicines in palliative care together with the Commission on Human Medicines’ recommendations for changes to medicines legislation on 8 July 2009. The Commission’s recommendations have been accepted by Ministers. The proposed changes will apply not only to palliative care but to all clinical areas where the mixing of medicines is accepted practice. We intend to amend the law before the end of the year as follows:

• To allow doctors and dentists (who can already mix medicines themselves) to direct others to mix (other than a pharmacist under existing legislative provisions, or by a person holding a manufacturer’s licence)
• To allow non-medical prescribers to mix medicines themselves and direct others to mix (other than a pharmacist under existing legislative provisions, or by a person holding a manufacturer’s licence)
• To allow nurse and Pharmacist Independent Prescribers to prescribe unlicensed medicines for their patients on the same basis as doctors and supplementary prescribers.

Click here to view the outcome.

Other stories