Sir, - I refer to the report in your edition of March 8th headed,"Child in home was given double its approved medicine". The apparentlack of control on the management of medicines is startling andsuggests a real risk to public health.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland is charged under statute withregulating the profession and practice of pharmacy on behalf of thepublic. Unfortunately, its powers in this regard are limited undercurrent legislation and do not extend to children's homes.
Conventional pharmacies, which do come under the society's remit,must engage a pharmacist at all times to supervise the supply ofmedicines to the public. Any delivery of medicines, perhapsparticularly to children, without the appropriate management structuresin place is unacceptable.
The society has lobbied the Department of Health and Children forupdated legislation for a considerable time now, to ensure that thesupply of medicines and pharmacy services in all sectors of thehealthcare system are regulated to the same standard.
We call on the health board in question, in association with thenewly formed Health Boards Executive and the Department of Health andChildren, to examine medicines management in all areas of residentialcare urgently. It will be too late if serious injury or even deathresults from inadequate service provision.
Registrar and Secretary,
Pharmaceutical Society
of Ireland,
Dublin 4.