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Letters to the Editor
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Dispensing
Acceptable dispensing practice?
From Mr K. Sagar
My wife (a retired hospital pharmacist) showed me the letter from John
Blake in the PJ of 11 September (p347). As a lay person I cannot comment on the
accuracy of his concerns over dispensing practices. But you may be interested
in the following experience I had recently.
My GP gave me a repeat prescription for “atorvastatin tablets 20mg,
56 tab”, which I gave to my local village pharmacy (a branch of a large
national chain). I received from it a manufacturer’s cardboard box entitled “Sortis
20mg/100 Atorvastatin 20mg tablets” with the pharmacy’s own label
correctly typed “56 atorvastatin tablets 20mg”. Inside was a patient
information leaflet for “atorvastatin” 10 and 20mg tablets and
a miscellaneous collection of foil packs as follows:
· Three packs of 10 Sortis 20mg tablets each embossed with the batch number
and expiry date 12/2006 but with a label stuck on (presumably by the importer)
giving the expiry date as 12/06
· One pack as above but with the importer’s label giving an expiry date
of 12/03
· One pack as above but with only nine tablets
· One pack as above but with only four tablets
· One pack of only two tablets (no batch number or date)
· One pack of one tablet (no batch number or date)
My previous (identical) prescription was supplied by the same pharmacy in
two “30 Lipitor 20mg tablets” boxes but contained similar “Sortis” tablets.
Although I am not worried that the wrong drug has been dispensed, and the
date discrepancies may be due to the importer, is this good or acceptable
dispensing? Others, less well informed than I am, might be confused by the
differing brand names, labelling and external packaging. Having worked as
a chemical engineer in the offshore oil industry for many years, I know that
such inconsistencies, lack of precision and untidiness would not be acceptable
there.
It would help if either GPs were to prescribe, or manufacturers to package
their products, in consistent quantities thus avoiding part-pack dispensing.
Ken Sagar
Cuckfield, West Sussex
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Pharmaceutical Journal