An investigation conducted by Sky News has found that there are “serious failings surrounding the security of medicines and controlled drugs in British hospitals”.

Sky contacted 166 NHS acute trusts and requested a copy of their last medicines and controlled-drugs security audit under the Freedom of Information Act. Overall, 94 audits were received back. A third of NHS trusts surveyed had audits showing that either medicines were not locked away; missing drugs were unaccounted for or medications were administered by unauthorised staff. Ten of the trusts contacted had not completed an overall audit, but claimed to conduct daily spot checks on medicine security and stock levels. Five trusts claimed they conducted regular audits, but refused to disclose them for "security" reasons. The Sky News report notes that although medicine security audits are not compulsory, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society recommends they should be completed every three to six months and after staff changes as good practice.

The Department of Health's Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, Keith Ridge, told Sky News that he would consider contacting the hospitals surveyed to ensure improvements are made. He said, “The standards are absolutely clear. Every hospital should have in place a robust policy for the safe and secure handling of medicines. The Care Quality Commission would expect evidence that trusts are complying with those standards."

The Sky News report adds that some of the NHS trusts surveyed appeared to “deliver excellent results”.