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Patients' own drugs
Reissuing red herrings
From Mr J. A. S. Buisson, MRPharmS, and Mr C. Street, MRPharmS
The argument put forward by Geoff Crumplin and Joy Wingfield about reissuing
medicines appears to be based on several red herrings (PJ, 18 September,
p378).
Patients’ own medicines used in hospitals are just that — the
patients’ own. Pharmacists do not reissue them; they authorise the
patient to retain control of something they already own.
Immediately before coming into hospital, patients are free to take their
medicines in whatever way they see fit, regardless of how they have been
stored. After admission, however, past storage becomes an issue — why?
The issue has only arisen because patients are having some of their autonomy
taken away and are entering the liability-aware (or averse) zone that is
the NHS.
If hospital pharmacists do not believe that the medicines remain clinically
appropriate then they are not reissued, they are destroyed in the same
way that medicines returned to community pharmacies are. The issue that
needs to be addressed is inappropriate prescribing and dispensing, which
leads to waste.
Charitable donation of medicines is not a good way to support other health
care systems. The attitude that what we are prepared to throw away is good
enough for someone else is outdated. Developing countries need to be able
to produce their own pharmaceutical supplies within the capacity of their
own economies. It is this we should be supporting.
Jonathan Buisson
NHS Strategy Manager
Chris Street
Health and Policy Adviser
Moss Pharmacy |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal