Forth Valley Area Drug & Therapeutics Committee
(Forth Valley ADTC)
Constitution and Remit
March 2013
The Area Drug and Therapeutics Committee (ADTC) will promote the effective, safe
and efficient use of medicines through out NHS Forth Valley.
On behalf of the NHS Board, the Area Drug and Therapeutics Committee will:
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Provide strategic advice on prescribing and medicine use
Advise and support the process for the managed entry of new medicines
Maintain the Forth Valley Formulary
Adopt, implement and monitor strategies that support prudent antimicrobial
prescribing
Approve local guidelines or policies related to prescribing or use of medicines
Support audit and review of existing patterns of prescribing
Approve documentation systems for prescribing
Approve medicine related information for patients
Support and monitor the development of non-medical prescribers
Approve patient group directions
Support the reporting and review of adverse drug reactions/incidents related to
prescribing or the use of medicines and share knowledge on the lessons learned
Respond to national policies/advice relating to prescribing or the use of medicines
Identify the need for education and training in prescribing and medicine use
Provide timely communication of ADTC policy and decisions
The ADTC is supported by a number of subcommittees:
 New Drugs Group
 Antimicrobial Management Group
 Wound Management Group
 Primary Care Prescribing Group
 Acute Drug and Therapeutics Committee
 Primary Care Drug and Therapeutics Committee
1. The committee will be composed of :
Current members of the Acute Services Drug & Therapeutics Committee, Primary
Care Prescribing Group, Primary Care Services Drug and Therapeutics Committee
and any members of constituent subgroup as follows:
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Two consultants from the Acute Services
Two consultants from the Community Health Partnerships
Four General Practitioners from the Primary Care Prescribing Group
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Five non- Medical Prescribers (two from the Primary Care Prescribing Group,
one from the Primary Care Services Drug and Therapeutics Committee and two
from the Acute Services Drug and Therapeutics Committee)
Five NHS Forth Valley employed Pharmacists (Two from the Acute Services and
two from Primary Care (One from the Primary Care Prescribing Group and one
from the Primary Care Services Drug and Therapeutics Committee.)
One Finance Manager
The Director of Pharmacy
One Consultant in Public Health Medicine
One Medical Director or deputy
One Finance Director or deputy
One Community Pharmacist nominated by the Area Pharmaceutical Committee
One Patient/Public representative
2. The Area Drug and Therapeutics Committee will report to the NHS Forth Valley
Joint Acute/CHP Clinical Governance Working Group.
3. The term of office will normally be two years. All members will be eligible for reappointment by their relevant membership groups and each group should
nominate a deputy for each member.
4. A Chairperson and a Vice Chairperson will be elected, from and by the members
of the committee by a process of majority vote. Term of office will normally be
two years. When the Chairperson is from the Acute Services the Vice Chairperson
will normally be from Primary Care Services and vice versa. Terms of
Chairmanship shall normally alternate between the Acute Services and Primary
Care Services.
5. Any member ceasing to be a member of the group he/she represents (from the
Primary Care Prescribing Group, Primary Care Services Drug and Therapeutics
Committee, Acute Services Drug and Therapeutics Committee, New
Drugs/Formulary Group, Wound Management Group and Antimicrobial
Management Group, NHS Forth Valley Health Board, Area Pharmaceutical
Committee) will automatically cease to be a member of the Forth Valley Area
Drug and Therapeutics Committee and a replacement will be decided by the group
represented.
6. Secretarial support for preparation of agendas and minute taking for the ADTC
will be provided by Primary Care.
The Secretary will keep a list of members and their deputies and re-election dates.
The Secretary will keep an annual list of members’ declared conflicts of interest.
The Secretary will keep names of members who have declared interests at
meetings of the ADTC and Sub-Committees, giving dates, names of relevant
products and companies, details of interest declared and whether the member took
part in the proceedings.
Secretarial support for preparation of agendas and minute taking for the New
Drugs /Formulary Group will be provided by the Primary Care.
Secretarial support for the agendas and minute taking for the Antimicrobial
Management Group will be provided by the NHS Forth Valley Health Board.
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7. Other members of the committees listed in the first paragraph may be co-opted to
the committee as and when appropriate.
8. The committee can invoke sub-groups to take forward areas of joint working. A
New Drugs/Formulary Sub-group, Antimicrobial Management Group, Wound
Management Group will be maintained.
9. Officers from the NHS Forth Valley can be invited by prior agreement of
committee members, to be in attendance at meetings.
10. Meetings take place approximately every 3 months on a pre-arranged date and
time. The secretary will notify members of the agenda and papers approximately one
week in advance of the meeting. The Committee will be quorate when one member
from The Acute Services Drug and Therapeutics Committee, Primary Care Services
Drug and Therapeutics Committee and Primary Care Prescribing Group is present,
with a total minimum of 6 members present.
11. The constitution will be reviewed every two years or before if necessary, and
changes made by consensus.
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