Guidance

Issuing public health alerts about drugs

Guidance for local authorities about alerting health professionals and the public to the risks of new and modified drugs.

Documents

Drug alerts and local drug information systems guidance

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Local drug information system (LDIS) reporting form template (appendix 4)

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Criteria for grading alerts guidance and form template (appendix 6)

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Details

Local authority public health teams and their partners can use this guidance to help them:

  • assess intelligence about strong, adulterated or contaminated drugs
  • issue public health alerts about such drugs

It recommends approaches local areas may choose to adopt, adapt or use.

Drug alerts can inform both people who use drugs and health professionals of the risks. Issuing alerts can improve local recording and intelligence, and make responses more effective. The LDIS model can also help with drug-related death reviews.

Download templates of the LDIS reporting form (appendix 4) and the criteria for grading alerts (appendix 6) for use in local areas.

Updates to this page

Published 1 January 2016

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