The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7190 p397-401
23 March 2002

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Letters to the Editor

The Profession

We should set the standards

From Mr P. A. McCree, MRPharmS

The Statutory Committee report (PJ, 2 March, p307) about dispensing medicines without expiry date and batch number raises a couple of important issues. I accept that this particular case may have had fraudulent implications but nevertheless the actual practice is fairly widespread. Dispensing from bulk pots will mean that neither batch number nor expiry date are present. Snipping off odd tablets to conform with a prescriber's specific requirements will also produce the same result.

The chairman stated that such dispensing "amounted to serious professional misconduct". He continued: "The requirement ... must be strictly observed."

I think the majority of pharmacists would endorse his view and would welcome a direction to that effect in the Code of Ethics. We could then insist that complete strips are supplied and the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee could make representation to the National Health Service and Prescription Pricing Authority to allow endorsement of such action.

However, when I contacted the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's professional standards directorate, its response was that these comments had to, and by implication could only, be taken in context of the particular situation under consideration. Why? It breaks the good dispensing practice guidelines, it is wasteful, it can be inconvenient, even dangerous for the patient and it could facilitate fraud.

It is our profession. We should insist on setting the standard.

Peter A. McCree
Superintendent Pharmacist
Lincoln Co-operative Chemist Ltd

Cutting of foil strips

From Mr E. A. Pries, MRPharmS

I am surprised that there has been little correspondence concerning Lord Fraser of Carmyllie's decision in the case before the Statutory committee concerning Michael Proctor (PJ, 2 March, p307). The wording of his comments seem to make it clear that the removal of batch numbers and expiry dates was a matter of serious professional misconduct and must be strictly observed. His remarks may have concerned this case but they seemed aimed at us all. How we prove that we cut to comply with doctors' wishes and not to defraud?

Perhaps now the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee and the Government will sort the matter with the utmost urgency. I look forward to consigning my scissors to the wastebin at last.

Ted Pries
Tonbridge, Kent

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