Pharmacies fined total of €21,000 over offences

Fines totalling over €21,000 have been imposed on 12 pharmacies for offences relating to the sale, display and storage of medicines.

The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, which regulates the profession, secured legal costs exceeding €32,000 plus VAT in a series of prosecutions against individual pharmacies in 2011 and 2012.

The society took a further four prosecutions for breaches of pharmacy and medicines legislation in 2013. The main offences related to failure to maintain the register of controlled drugs or prescriptions properly, and supply of prescription-only medicines without a prescription.

The regulator's website lists the details of prosecutions for 2011 and 2012, but not for last year. The cases listed include separate prosecutions against Janet Dillon Pharmacy, Manor Street, Dublin, Carrick-on-Shannon and Moorefield, Co Kildare.

Prosecutions were also brought against LMB, Charleville, Co Cork; Lorna Mullins, Co Cork; Kilrush Pharmacy, Co Clare; Allens Pharmacy , Dublin 1; Daily Associates Ltd, Co Dublin; Paul Hartnett MPSI, Balbriggan; Neighbourhood Pharmacy, Santry, Co Dublin; and James Roche, Sandyford, Dublin 18.