Pharmacist sold medicine two years out of date

A PHARMACIST was brought before a fitness to practise inquiry after his pharmacy sold a cough medicine that was two years out of date.

Anne-Marie Grant of Suncroft Drive, Tallaght, Dublin, bought a bottle of Benylin Dual Action Dry Syrup on October 24, 2009, from Jobstown Pharmacy in Tallaght.

The inquiry by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland’s (PSI) professional conduct committee was the first to be held under the 2007 Pharmacy Act.

Declan Grogan, the pharmacist with overall responsibility, but not the qualified pharmacist who sold the medicine to Ms Grant, apologised again to her for what happened.

Ms Grant said she consumed the medicine and also gave some to her daughter, now aged 12. She noticed the medicine tasted peculiar and that she had an upset stomach before seeing the medicine’s expiry date was October 2007.

Ms Grant returned the medicine to the chemist on October 27, 2009, and received a refund and an apology from Mr Grogan before making a complaint to the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland.

Cathal Murphy BL for Mr Grogan said Mr Grogan found a member of staff had been conducting a cleaning exercise and the out-of-date medicine that had become lost behind some loose boxes had been moved to the front of shop area. He described the incident as an unfortunate coincidence of events and said Mr Grogan had since conducted a review of how stock was checked. Mr Murphy said no checking system could be 100% fail-proof.

Counsel for the PSI register, Patrick Leonard, indicated it was a matter for admonishment rather than censure.

Mr Grogan gave an undertaking not to repeat the complaint and consented to an admonishment by the PSI council.