Investigation by The Sun prompts Society action
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has asked The Sun newspaper to share evidence that some pharmacists allegedly unlawfully sold prescription-only medicines to an undercover investigator without following the proper procedures for emergency supply.
According to The Sun, the investigator visited five pharmacies in the
London area posing as an illegal immigrant without a prescription and
was sold prescription drugs in three of them. The drugs reported to have
been sold are temazepam, atenolol, amitriptyline, ranitidine, amoxicillin,
flucloxacillin and diazepam.
In some cases a month’s supply is reported to have been sold, and
in one case the reporter claims to have been sold the drugs by the owner
of the shop who was not a pharmacist.
David Pruce, director of practice and quality improvement at the Society,
said: “We are
concerned about some of The Sun’s findings and would ask the paper
to share any evidence with us so that we can investigate.
“In an emergency, pharmacists are legally allowed to sell or supply
a maximum of five day’s treatment of a prescription-only medicine
under certain restrictions. However, temazepam, a Controlled Drug, is
not allowed to be supplied in this way.” He added that the Society
was “particularly concerned that one of the sales was made without
a pharmacist being present. In supplying prescription-only medicines
in emergencies a pharmacist must personally handle the request and be
satisfied that the patient has an immediate need for the medicine and
also that the patient has been prescribed the medicine before.”
He added: “We would want to investigate any supply which falls
outside of these restrictions.” |
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