Warning over killer doctor threat

The lack of pharmacy legislation is leaving patients vulnerable to a killer doctor like Harold Shipman, it was claimed today.

The British doctor killed up to 260 elderly patients over a 23-year period in Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire, before being jailed and taking his own life.

Mandy Lavin, who testified at the Shipman inquiry, said the 57-year-old GP had exploited the weaknesses in the British regulation system to accumulate a large quantity of dangerous drugs.

“The reality is that Shipman was not a one man band. There were many professionals who worked alongside him and many members of the public who were very concerned about some of the things he was doing. But he still managed to slip through the net,” she said.

Ms Lavin, who is a director of fitness to practise with the British Royal Pharmaceutical Society, told a patient safety seminar in Dublin that the Irish regulatory system was even less well equipped to prevent a similar scenario re-occurring .

“There are no standards for pharmacy premises in Ireland, there are no registration systems. If I had a very serious criminal conviction, I could come to Ireland and open a pharmacy,” she said.

The current legislation for regulating the pharmacy sector dates back to 1875 and does not include any provision to strike off a pharmacist for malpractice.

The Minister for Health Mary Harney is expected to publish a new fitness to practise bill within weeks, which will strengthen the disciplinary powers of the regulatory body, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland.

But pharmacists are concerned only they, and not the owners of pharmacies, will be held accountable.

“The reality of the new fitness to practice legislation, if it’s going to properly protect the public, it must give some responsibility to the pharmacy owners. The public have to have confidence in the management of their medicines and their prescription drugs,” said Ms Lavin.

The Irish Pharmaceutical Union, which represents around 1,600 community pharmacists, said the new laws must ensure that the health needs of the patient always come before commercial interests.

“There is potential for malpractice to occur, particularly considering that Ireland has the most liberal pharmacy market in Europe. Ireland is in the unique situation, whereby anybody can open a pharmacy,” said its president Dr Karl Hilton.