VIEWPOINT
BAD PHARMACIST by Terry Maguire
lecture’ she would not have come in at all. And, from a strictly business perspective, I knew she was right and I had upset her and she would now take further business to Boots.
Barry was seeking his ‘weekly- dispense’ prescription early. He was off to visit his mum and his doctor, he announced, allowed him to do this; get the prescription early that is. Barry is new to us and is big and somewhat menacing in his restive behaviour. I told him he had got his first of four instalments on Tuesday, it was now Friday and, unless the GP telephoned, I could do nothing for him. He suggested two options that seemed eminently sensible to him: just give him the medicines early like the last pharmacist always did, or ring the GP. I now know that I acted obstructively, and for this I will seek forgiveness, but I denied his request.
I
n a fairer, more honest world I would just hand myself in. I would walk briskly over to University
Street, skip up the steps and, on entering No. 73, would ask for Brendan Kerr, the registrar. When he arrived, I would outstretch my wrists for handcuffing and submit myself for rigorous interrogation in a holding cell at the Pharmaceutical Society.
I confess to breaching Principle 1 of our Code of Ethics and it’s not just a one off, it’s been repeated, flagrant breaches done in the full knowledge of what I was doing; without mitigation. I know I must, at all times, act in the best interests of my patients, but I just find it so difficult some times, and, on reflection, perhaps I should not be allowed to remain on the register. Take three examples that all occurred last Friday afternoon.
Kevin’s doctor, or more likely a 10 - PHARMACY IN FOCUS
receptionist at his doctor’s, gave him one prescription short. We discovered this when Kevin returned distressed, noisily claiming that I had only dispensed his MST 15mg tablets; where were his MST 5mg tabs? I found his prescription forms and he quickly pointed out that it stated clearly on his MST 15mg prescription that the total dose was 20mg.
A detailed explanation of the Medicines Act 1968 and the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 would have appeared condescending, to say the least, so I tried to explain in simple terms that I needed a separate prescription. It was Friday afternoon and he was going away for the weekend, as was the GP, but I told him I was not accepting a phone-in for a Controlled Drugs as is the law. By denying Kevin ‘a lend’ of some MST 5 mg tablets, I was certainly not acting in his best interests. It is likely he would suffer pain over the
weekend and it would be my fault.
Karen asked for her medicines and, following some confused searching about the dispensary, she gave me that piercing look of disdain when I tried to explain that I didn’t have any medicines for her, but that she owned me seven propranolol MR 80mg, loaned last Saturday. She had ordered a prescription from her GP; did we not pick it up? Our collection book was devoid of any reference to her. Did she ask us to pick it up? You always pick it up! Do we? And then I made a fatal mistake. I mentioned the strip of Microgynon 30 we had loaned her six months before. Emanating a screech that merely underlined my gross incompetence, she told me she given them back. Do you know when, I asked gingerly? The last time I brought my pill prescription in. You haven’t been back here since I cautiously continued. She accepted ‘getting a
For each of these patients, in their view, I am guilty of failing to act in their best interests. Because of my professional arrogance and human indifference, Kevin suffered unnecessary pain, Karen was humiliated in public and Barry did not get a good night’s sleep. Brendan Kerr will have no option but to refer me to the Stat. Comm. And, if they are doing their job, they will impose proportionate sanctions. Otherwise, of course, I could just retire and accept I can no longer play the game. •
THESE VIEWS ARE ENTIRELY THOSE OF THE AUTHOR AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE OPINIONS OF EITHER PROFILE PUBLISHING & DESIGN LTD. OR THE ULSTER CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION.
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