The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 271 No 7276 p709
22 November 2003

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Letters to the Editor

Dispensing

Patient privacy is undermined by open dispensaries

From Dr J. A Rees, MRPharmS

A recent article in The Journal (15 November, p667) reports the new style dispensary being adopted by Boots with medicines on show and dispensing taking place in view of the patient (and anybody else in that area of the pharmacy). Boots is not alone in opening up dispensaries and placing the work, workers and contents on view. But this new open style dispensary begs the question: “What about patient confidentiality and privacy?”

The Code of Ethics places great emphasis on patient confidentiality. In addition, prescriptions are regarded in law as confidential documents. At the High Court in 1999, in a case involving anonymised prescription data, Judge Latham said that “as far as the patient is concerned, [the prescription] identifies the fact he is taking drugs and the nature of the drugs he is taking could identify his mental or physical condition”. Open style dispensaries allow someone other then the patient to see what is being picked off the shelf, labelled and given to the patient. Boots claims that articles requiring more privacy can be dispensed elsewhere and out of sight. But who makes that judgement about privacy? The patient or the pharmacist? In my opinion all prescribed medicines should be treated as private to the patient.

Recent studies (PJ, 22 March, p389) have shown that one of the greatest areas of concern for pharmacy users is privacy and confidentiality. So is it time to rethink open style dispensaries? Rather than open style dispensaries, should patients not be “housed” in booths, where they can hand in their prescriptions and receive their medicines with appropriate private and confidential counselling?

Judith Rees
Altrincham, Cheshire

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