Inquiry5

The Auditor General for Wales reviewed primary care prescribing at all health boards in late 2013 and 2014. The work examined issues such as the strategic planning of prescribing, the delivery of national prescribing priorities and the opportunities for securing cost and quality improvements. In August 2015, auditors assessed the progress that health boards had made in implementing audit recommendations.

During 2015, auditors also reported findings from local work which examined the adequacy of hospital pharmacy facilities, pharmacy staffing levels and the effectiveness of a range of processes related to the use of medicines in hospitals.

This report, published in February 2016, brings together the key messages from all of the Auditor General’s local work on medicines management. A number of recommendations are made which are designed to help strengthen medicines management arrangements in NHS Wales, and support wider prudent prescribing aims.

The Public Accounts Committee undertook an inquiry which reported in March 2018. The Committee has regularly monitored the implementation of the recommendations contained in its report and received regular updates from the Welsh Government, the final one being in November 2020.

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