The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 276 No 7394 p381
1 April 2006

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· Supervision
· Substance misuse
· Classification
· Statins
· Self care
· Oxygen services
· Packaging
· Reciprocity
· Overseas pharmacists
· Council elections
· CPD
· Assisted dying

Letters to the Editor

Substance misuse

Identification of clients breaks confidentiality

From Mrs G. Hargreaves, MRPharmS

I was appalled when reading this week’s PJ (25 March, p340) to see a blatant breach of patient confidentiality. The article triumphing a community pharmacy’s first place in the Northumberland Care Trust Good Practice awards 2005 for its substance misuse service, published the full names of two people using this service. I know that the PJ is mailed only to pharmacists, but who is to say who will have have access to it later on? It could be left on a bus, read at work by staff who pass information on to friends, or taken from a recycling bag. Even if the two participants gave consent to publish their names, I think that the PJ was irresponsible in printing these for general circulation.

Glenda Hargreaves
Chorley, Lancashire

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