Katie wrote:
snip...
>Surely when we sign the script we take the responsibility.
Morally, professionally and legally no.
Legally the pharmacist has equal responsibility for a wrong prescription
(though there is the defence that without the patients medical history the
pharmacists couldn't identify it as "wrong", or the "accepted practice"
defence that every one does it..however I'm not sure how much longer the
second will remain acceptable)
Professionally the best interest of the patient is the over-riding concern
(as it should be.)
Moral responsibility, even without the legal and professional
responsibilities can never be escaped.
>There is no hiding here.
My thanks, respect and admiration for taking part.
>Medicine is not and never will be a precise definable science - even
>within the discipline of pharmacology.
I am not suggesting that it is, but I am nowhere near convinced that
knowingly putting a babies life at risk when there are alternatives that do
not do so is in the best interest of the patient.
>Your role .......
snip..
>I would hope does not include contradicting the doctor who
>signed it in front of the patient. That would be both counterproductive
>and unprofessional.
Agreed, but that has to remain secondary to the overriding concern which is
the best interests of the patient.
>I would expect the courtesy that he too would
>find a private place to contact me so as not to openly question my
>competence in front of any other person.
I agree completely, unfortunately the telephone in too many pharmacies are
situated in the wrong place. There is little I can actually do about it as a
locum apart from drawing the problem to everyone's attention.
>Curiously I had a child in this morning aged 18 months for whom I had
>prescribed phenergan for her (parents) sleep problems about 6 weeks ago.
>They had used it sparingly and sceptically, but came back to ask if it
>was responsible for the improvement in her eczema. I think it is likely
>that the reduction in itch had also broken that cycle as well as the
>(unsociable) sleep cycle.
I have never denied the efficacy of phenergan, only its safety.
Kind regards
Jeff Green
Community Locum and Consultant Pharmacist
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