Donegal pharmacists censured for supplying drug without prescription

Two Donegal pharmacists have been censured for supplying a medication that causes serious side-effects to a patient without prescription.

Gerard McCormick and Stewart Magee, of Magee's Pharmacy, Upper Main Street, Letterkenny, Co Donegal, have been found guilty of poor professional performance at a disciplinary inquiry held by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) in Dublin.

The inquiry heard that both pharmacists supplied a woman referred to as Patient A, who is now deceased, with a drug called Enbrel without a prescription over a period of 14 months.

The inquiry found that Mr McCormick, as the supervising pharmacist, failed to ensure that there were adequate procedures in place at the pharmacy to ensure the safe and appropriate supply of medicines.

Enbrel is a medication used to treat patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic autoimmune conditions, and is often taken in the form of an injection. It is managed on a patient-specific basis, and requires a high level of supervision, as it has a number of serious potential side-effects.

Enbrel can decrease the body’s ability to fight infection and can leave patients at risk of serious infection. In some cases, it can also increase the risk of certain types of cancer. As it is known as a “high-tech drug”, pharmacists are required to check for a prescription each time Enbrel is supplied to a patient.

The inquiry heard that over a period of 14 months, between January 2011 and May 2012, Patient A was supplied with Enbrel 11 times without a valid prescription. In August 2012, Patient A was diagnosed with pneumonia and cancer. She has since died. The inquiry heard that there was no medical evidence to show that the pharmacists’ actions caused or contributed to Patient A’s death.

Gabriel Gavigan, senior counsel for both pharmacists, said they had expressed regret and remorse regarding the events, and had taken numerous steps to ensure it would not happen again.

The fitness-to-practice committee requested that both pharmacists undertook not to repeat their actions, to go on attending continued professional development training, and to bring in an independent auditor every year for five years. The committee also requested that the two pharmacists agree to be censured by the PSI.

Mr McCormick and Mr Magee agreed to this and the inquiry concluded.