From Mr C. Morris, MRPharmS
SIR,—I have a problem. Having read that Controlled Drug regulations are likely to be changed after the Shipman case (PJ, February 5, p201), I would like to know how I recognise a doctor, let alone a homicidal one.
If the legislation is changed so that general practitioners are not allowed to collect CD prescriptions for their patients, how would we know that the person who is collecting a patient's prescription is not, in fact, the patient's GP? I know that as a locum I have enough problems trying to assess whether a person who wants to write a private prescription on a Saturday evening is a doctor, let alone identifying doctors as they come through the door.
How will these CD changes help anyone? Would Dr Shipman have been foiled by such regulations? I think not.
Dr Shipman is a very clever man. Would he have said, "Sorry I can't collect this CD prescription for this patient as I'm her GP", or would he have gone to a pharmacy where he was not known and pretend to be the patient's son or nephew?
This case has caused much soul searching and is truly terrible but we must be sure that changes do not follow the rule: "Something must be done. This is something; this must be done."
Chris Morris
Newquay, Cornwall