A former RTÉ producer was allegedly given an overdose of chemotherapy medication, a medical inquiry heard on Wednesday.
Sinéad Ní Dhulaing Johnson, who has since passed away from a brain tumour, was allegedly given more than twice the correct dose of chemotherapy drug Temozolomide, which she took for 16 days in August and September 2008 before the error was discovered.
As a result, Ms Ní Dhulaing Johnson became “extremely unwell”, and required hospitalisation until November of that year.
At the inquiry, which is taking place at the Medical Council in Dublin, a consultant medical oncologist at the Beacon hospital in south Dublin – referred to as Dr A – is facing allegations that an incorrect dose of Temozolomide was prescribed to Ms Ní Dhulaing Johnson on August 13th, 2008.
It is also claimed that Dr A then failed to disclose in a timely manner to Ms Ni Dhulaing Johnson and her husband, Eddie Johnson, that an incorrect dose of the medication had been prescribed.
Ms Ní Dhulaing Johnson was first diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2000. She then sought treatment both in Ireland and New York, and, in 2005, the tumour appeared to be under control.
She returned to work as a producer in RTÉ, but in 2008, there was a recurrence of the brain tumour. It was decided she would receive a combination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy. As the Beacon hospital was the only hospital in the country to offer the type of radiation therapy she was due to receive, she went there to receive her care.
Dr A met with Ms Ní Dhulaing Johnson on August 13th, when Dr A admittedly prescribed an incorrect dose of chemotherapy drug Temozolomide.
Patrick Leonard, legal counsel for the Medical Council, said Dr A prescribed 350ml of the medication when, in fact, Ms Ní Dhulaing Johnson should have only been prescribed 135ml, to be taken in the form of a 150ml tablet daily.
Ms Ní Dhulaing Johnson then took the excessive dose until September 5th, when, her husband claims, her hair was coming out in lumps and she was suffering from a hot rash all over her body.
Ms Ní Dhulaing Johnson and Dr A met on this day, and Dr A claims the patient and her husband were informed of the overdose error on that day. Mr Johnson disagrees. Mr Johnson claims he was not informed by Dr A of the overdose until September 19th.
Ms Ní Dhulaing Johnson was admitted to hospital on September 9th. While in hospital, her rash developed into a very serious condition, and she had to kept in isolation for much of her time in hospital between September and November 2008.
Ms Ní Dhulaing Johnson, from south Dublin, passed away at her home two years later, on November 25th, 2010 at the age of 43.
Eileen Barrington, legal counsel for Dr A, said the doctor is “a competent, well qualified and very well regarded medical oncologist”. She said Dr A has admitted to the mistake of the incorrect dosage, and by September 15th, 2008, put in place a series of precautions in the hospital to ensure this type of adverse event would not happen again.
At least 20 witnesses are expected to give evidence during the inquiry, which continues on Thursday.