Staff at pharmacy that refused mother EpiPen ‘received death threats’

Staff at a Dublin pharmacy received death threats after refusing to dispense an EpiPen to the mother of a teenager suffering an anaphylactic shock, an inquiry has heard.

One caller told a member of staff he was going to be "slaughtered", a Pharmaceutical Society hearing was told.

Shop assistant Rachel Horan said the pharmacy, Hamilton Long on O'Connell Street, had received a number of "not very nice" calls since the 2013 incident in which Caroline Sloan, mother of Emma Sloan, tried unsuccessfully to buy an EpiPen, which are used to treat people in anaphylactic shock.

Emma (14) died on a Dublin street in December 2013 after eating a peanut-based sauce at a Chinese restaurant. The inquiry is examining an allegation of poor professional performance against pharmacist David Murphy.

It is claimed that he failed to respond adequately when he declined to give Ms Sloan an EpiPen because she did not have a prescription.

Claire Murphy, superintendent pharmacist at Hamilton Long group, said staff were called “scumbags” and received abuse in emails and from people coming in off the street.

Ms Horan told the inquiry a lady came into the shop saying “someone she was with” had come into contact with satay sauce and needed an EpiPen. She said Mr Murphy told the woman to call an ambulance, which Ms Sloan disputes.

Ms Sloan told the inquiry she doesn’t intend suing over her daughter’s death as it was “not something I want”.

She was questioned about differences between statements she made about the incident in December 2013 and her evidence to the hearing.

Ronan Kennedy BL, for Mr Murphy, said Ms Sloan's statement to gardaí did not mention the fact she was looking for the EpiPen for her daughter yet in her evidence she said she had mentioned this to the pharmacist.

Ms Sloan accused Mr Kennedy of “nitpicking” and insisted she had told Mr Murphy she was seeking the EpiPen on behalf of her daughter. She described Mr Murphy’s assertion that he suggesting calling an ambulance as “a lie”.

Asked about her recollection of events, she said: “My memory doesn’t fail. Two years next week it will be and it is like it was yesterday”.

Prof Stephen Byrne, head of the school of pharmacy in UCC, said it was his view that Mr Murphy’s actions in this case amount to poor professional performance. He should have interviewed the patient and established the clinical facts so he could come to an informed decision.

Mr Kennedy applied to have Dr Byrne’s evidence ruled inadmissible but the committee ruled that it would not accede to this request “at this stage”.

The inquiry heard Emma had suffered at least three similar reactions prior to the incident on December 18th, 2013.

Ms Sloan said her daughter began complaining of a tingling sensation on her lips so they left to go to Temple Street Hospital as they did not have an EpiPen with them.

After failing to get one in the pharmacy, they rushed up the street to the carpark, she said. She agreed with Mr Kennedy that, on the way, they gave a homeless woman €5, but denied this caused any delay.

The hearing continues.