Action Time! get in touch with your MPs

[Rafael]

RPSGB Published a standard letter for you to forward to your MP. to win the fight ' decriminalisation of dispensing errors' more than 300 MPs should vote for the motion.
calling on all pharmacists/pre-reg and students. let's work together to lobby the MPs to vote for changing some aspects of the Medicine act 1968 ( yeah right, its 2009 not 1968!).

PLEASE USE THIS STANDARD FORM, MODIFY IF POSSIBLE, ADD YOUR PERSONAL TOUCH AND FORWARD IT IN A LETTER OR E-MAIL TO YOUR LOCAL MP.

Dear (NAME of your MP)

I am writing to you as a constituent to ask your help to tackle an issue that affects me in my daily working life as a pharmacist ( or trainee pharmacists, pharmacy student). My profession takes pride in placing public safety above all other interests. Though the greatest of care is taken during the dispensing of medicines to patients and the public, human error does occur. The chances of this are slight but, with any human process, the potential for error is always present. Systems and processes are constantly under review to reduce the element of risk in the process of dispensing and pharmacy is its own ‘critical friend’ in identifying areas where practice can be improved.

The legislation under which dispensing is regulated was passed in 1968, for practices that were different to those being used today. The relevant clauses in the 1968 medicines Act create an automatic criminal offence out of a single dispensing error – an unforeseen human error.

Pharmacists are aware that any error can have terrible results and work with this knowledge foremost in their minds whilst dispensing medicines.

No other core activity in healthcare is subject to an automatic criminal process. As a pharmacist, I want to see a system whereby I am able to report any dispensing error without incriminating myself. I want to see a legal system where those who are either wilful or negligent face the consequences of their actions but those who make a single dispensing error face a more proportionate response.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain will be working with Parliamentarians and political parties to find a suitable alternative that is proportionate rather than draconian and meets the needs of the updated practices used in a modern pharmacy environment.

Early Day Motion number 1561 has been tabled to raise awareness of this anomaly. Would you please sign it and join the growing number of politicians who wish to see a fair and equal system under which all healthcare professionals work.

Yours sincerely
Your name


TO FIND THE DETAILS OF YOUR LOCAL MP, USE THIS WEBSITE
(write to them). WriteToThem - Email or fax your Councillor, MP, MEP, MSP or Welsh, NI, London Assembly Member for free
just type your post code and follow the instruction.
Once you e-mail your MP, he/she has to respond back within 2 weeks.


Elaine, if possible forward this message to all the members
on this forum (if possible). Thanks

[Rafael]

Action 2


BBC radio 4 may cover decriminalisation of dispensing errors

Listeners can shape what is discussed in the show by commenting on the online blog — the more discussion on and more interesting a blog, the more likely it is the topic will be covered on the show.

Please have a look at this blog (The biggest mistake of your life) and leave a comment
BBC - iPM: The biggest mistake of your life?

[Jeff]

Action 1

The letter is patently untrue -

My profession takes pride in placing public safety above all other interests.

It doesn't - Tescos hasn't reviewed it's SOP's (see C&D).
10 hour shifts without breaks are still considered acceptable. Wouldn't be if we were driving a lorry.

Systems and processes are constantly under review to reduce the element of risk in the process of dispensing and pharmacy is its own ‘critical friend’ in identifying areas where practice can be improved.

Bollocks - what do we know about Ms Lee's/Tescos error? The makes of propranolol/prednisolone stocked - was there similar packaging? We don't bloody know.

Pharmacy has a culture of being quiet about mistakes at least compared to something like the airline industry.
Our training of staff - AFAIK - doesn't include any training on how to question (pharmacist) errors.

Meanwhile I've heard of another death from methotrexate labelled as daily.

Some errors should -IMO - be illegal.

Jeff

[johnep]

Are uou saying that Tesco is part of the profession? The pharmacists may be, management no.
johnep

[DavidS]

Action 1

The letter is patently untrue -

"personalising" these letters is a really good idea, whether or not you believe you are correcting errors. In fact, the link for emailing mps kindly provided by Raoul says clearly that if you simply just cut and paste the same letter it may be blocked. In my version below I have had the advantage of considering Jeff's views.....

Some errors will remain illegal: those intentional errors designed to poison alkward customers , those errors involving giving cheaper versions of the prescribed product (aka fraud) even though these products are designed to have the identical effect, and those involving criminal negligence.

The fact is that here a pharmacist who the prosecution couldn't nail for any of those, and I believe they tried their hardest, was scapegoated by using a piece of badly drafted legislation which had another purpose entirely.

Can any or us say we support this kind of criminal prosecution?

I have sent the following personalised version:

Dear (NAME of your MP)

I am writing to you as a constituent to ask your help to tackle an issue that affects me in my daily working life as a pharmacist. I takes pride in placing patient safety above all else in my work. Though the greatest of care is taken during the dispensing of medicines to patients and the public, human error must occur. The chances of this are slight but, with any human process, the potential for error is always present, and however slight the chance of something, if there is any chance at all, its eventual occurrance is inevitable.

The legislation under which dispensing is regulated was passed in 1968, for practices that were different to those being used today. The relevant clauses in the 1968 medicines Act create an automatic criminal offence out of a single dispensing error – an unforeseen human error.

Pharmacists are aware that any error can have terrible results and work with this knowledge foremost in their minds whilst dispensing medicines.

No other core activity in healthcare is subject to an automatic criminal process. As a pharmacist, I want to see a system whereby I am able to report any dispensing error without incriminating myself. I want to see a legal system where those who are either wilful or negligent face the consequences of their actions but those who make an honest mistake in the course of careful and conscientious work face a more proportionate response.

Early Day Motion number 1561 has been tabled to raise awareness of this anomaly. Would you please sign it and join the growing number of politicians who wish to see a fair and equal system under which all healthcare professionals can work together to improve patient safety without fear of routine unnecessary criminal prosecution.

Yours sincerely

DavidS

[Jeff]

Are uou saying that Tesco is part of the profession? The pharmacists may be, management no.
johnep

They own the pharmacy - have the contract - are responsible for the buying - responsible for their SOPs - responsible for staffing levels.
To exclude them from any investigation of or responsibility for an error fails to address the root causes for the error.
If contractors are not willing to take on the responsibilities of the profession they should not be allowed contracts?

Jeff

[johnep]

Ah there's the rub. Non pharmacists can own contracts, but the RPSGB regulates Phamacists not contractors. They can just wash their hands of any responsibility.
johnep

[Rafael]

Listen to the iPM podcast re Mrs Lee and dispensing errors on BBC radio 4
Dispensing error decriminalisation resources | PJ Online

[Web Ferret]

Emailed the letter to my MP.

[Rafael]

Emailed the letter to my MP.

Just hope he won't resign or get fired anytime soon