North drug death prompts warning over multiple GP registrations

The North's Minister of Health is to be urged by a coroner to take action to ensure prescription drug addicts cannot get multiple scripts by registering with more than one GP.

Coroner Brian Sherrard expressed his concerns today about a system “full of deficiencies” at the inquest of a homeless man just out of prison who died from an overdose after managing to get drugs from three doctors in little more than a week.

Sean Joseph Mooney, 30, was found dead in his room at the Salvation Army hostel in Belfast’s Victoria Street in May 2005, eight days after being released from prison.

He died from pneumonia caused by an overdose of Diazepam, Temazepam and Dihydrocodeine, a post mortem exam showed.

He had become addicted to the drugs after being prescribed them as a result of a number of paramilitary attacks, including a shooting, when he was a teenager.

A previous hearing of the inquest in October was told Mooney still suffered pain and anxiety as a result of the attacks and relied on the medication to help him cope.

At the resumed hearing in Belfast it became clear he had been able to get multiple prescriptions for drugs by registering at more than one doctors’ practice – on the last occasion the day before his death.

The coroner said he did not want to criticise the doctors. “I would not like anybody to in any way judge the GPs harshly, I don’t think that would be right,” he said.

But he went on: “It seems to me the system is full of deficiencies”.

Delivering his finding, Mr Sherrard said Mr Mooney had become addicted to prescription drugs after a number of punishment attacks in his youth.

“In the eight days prior to his death he had registered with two GP practices and been able to obtain prescriptions on three occasions,” said the coroner.

Nevertheless, he said he was totally satisfied death was an accident and that Mr Mooney had not intended to take his own life.

However he continued: “One overriding matter of concern that has arisen is the ability of people to register at different practices and obtain large quantities of drugs from each of these practice.”

He said Mr Mooney had only gone to two practices, but added: “Had he so wished he could have gone to any number over the eight days – it is a very worrying state of affairs for the vulnerable.”

Saying he was going to take the matter up with Michael McGimpsey, he said: “What I intend to do is to ask specifically the Minister for Health to consider options to minimise the risk of this being repeated.

“Specifically I am writing to the minister asking for reassurances that the matter has been addressed.”