The Regional Drug and Therapeutics Centre (RDTC) is responsible for a range of issues relating to medicines use and drug
safety. These include monitoring and advising on prescribing and medicines use in primary and secondary care, and the provision of quality assurance for medicines to stakeholder organisations in the North of England.
The RDTC aims to promote the safe, effective and economical use of medicines to the National Health Service in the North of England; promoting the highest quality of care for people exposed to the toxic effects of drugs or chemicals; and disseminating and developing
knowledge in these areas through teaching and research.
The centre was established in 1991 as collaboration between the University and the former Northern Regional Health Authority. With changing regional NHS boundaries, it increased its activities to cover the then Northern and Yorkshire Region in 1994. Following the abolition of Regional Health Authorities in 1996 the Centre has been managed as a partnership with stakeholder Primary Care Organisations and other stakeholders
throughout the North of England.
The Centre is housed on the University of Newcastle campus and is hosted by the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust, which is responsible for employing most of the staff. It is staffed by a multi-disciplinary team comprising pharmacists, physicians, medical information scientists and support staff.
