Shipman case pharmacist cleared with no case to answer
Ghislaine Brant, the pharmacist who dispensed prescriptions for diamorphine that was subsequently used by Harold Shipman to kill many of his patients, has been cleared of any wrongdoing by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Statutory Committee (see p374).
The committee ruled earlier this week that Mrs Brant had no case to answer.
The Society’s Council had alleged that she had dispensed excessive
doses of diamorphine, failed to keep appropriate stocks of diamorphine,
failed to scrutinise prescriptions adequately, failed to exercise sufficient
control over what was supplied and failed to exercise the professional
objectivity and judgement expected of a reasonably competent pharmacist.
Committee chairman Lord Fraser of Carmyllie said that the Society had
been right to bring the case because a serious professional issue had
to be explored, but the committee had heard no evidence that Mrs Brant
dispensed quantities of diamorphine that she ought to have known were
excessive. He said that she should be praised, not pilloried. “Had
it not been for her meticulous record-keeping retained long after the
law required it of her, much of what the police uncovered about Dr Shipman
would have been lost for ever.”
The National Pharmaceutical Association welcomed the ruling. NPA chief
executive, John D’Arcy, said: “This ruling makes it clear
that … pharmacists will be judged against what a reasonably competent
pharmacist would do rather than against a counsel of perfection armed
with the considerable benefit of hindsight.”
A spokeswoman for the Society said that all decisions made by the Statutory
Committee are sent to the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence,
which then has 28 days to decide whether it will refer the case to the
High Court. |
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