ERRORS IN MEDICINE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20219, 2 April 1929, Page 12

ERRORS IN MEDICINE.

SEVEN CHI-MISTS FINED.

CARELESSNESS OF DISPENSERS

Complaints that chemists had been "more careless than usual" in making up prescriptions were made at the recent annual meeting of the Middlesex Insurance Committee.

The report of the Pharmaceutical Service Sub-Committee recommended that seven chemists should be censured for making up incorrect prescriptions, and that sums ranging from £1 to £5 should be deducted from the amount:; owing to them.

Mr. W. H. Kelland, the chairman of tho sub-committeei, in referring to the ciise of the chemist whom it was proposed to fine £5, said that in his opinion the case was one which ought not to be dealt with by a fine by the sab-commit-tee, but should be the subject of a prosecation under the Food and Drugs Act, which would result in the public learning the name of the offender. The committee formerly had power to take this course, but the regulations had been altered. It was proposed to ask the Ministry of Health whether the power could not be restored. A member of tiie committed, referring to the case of tho chemist fined £3, said that be evidently could not have read the prescription. "If chemists canpot read a doctor's handwriting," he said, "it is their duty to ask the doctor what ho wants, and not to make up something else." In the case in vrhich a fine of £5 was imposed there was a deficiency of 100 per cent, of calomel. Not a single grain of calomel was contained in tho medicine supplied. A letter had beeri received stating that the dispenser responsible ha<3 been dismissed from tho firm's employ.

Among the explanations of the errors offered were:— The dispenser must, have used a 2oz. instead of a smaller measure,, and did not hold the measure straight. Occurred in manipulation. A lady dispenser could not account for the error. Prescription came in the rush hour and was misread.