To be livid at the chemist

[Driftingthoughlife]

I have the same surname and first initial as my MIL for example
MIL is Lisa Brown
I am Lily Brown so both Mrs L Brown.
I dropped in a prescription for my pills at the chemist. They had my beta blockers but not my antidepressants. They gave me my beta blockers and then said they would deliver my anidepressants and it would be today or tomorrow
Phone call tonight from my MiL saying they had delivered my anti drepressants to her address. My husband then gets 100 questions to why I am on antidepressants.
FFS I really did not want them knowing for many reasons

OP do the pharmacy know you're related to MIL? I'd ask why you haven't received your meds, and if they say they've delivered them, ask to where because they never made it to your address which they have. I'd be bloody livid with them and don't be fobbed off with an apology.

Oh dear, that is dreadful. Log a formal complaint, that is data security and patient confidentiality breach.

and BTW, tell your MIL why you are taking anti depressants - it'll shut her up and besides, nothing to be ashamed about! Plenty of pill-poppers on here and I, for one, am not embarrassed about it and never will either!

Formal complaint time.

This is a serious and reportable GDPR breech, because there has been harm to a patient (ie there has been an adverse impact to you from their actions). They are going to be in trouble with the ICO.

www.pharmacyregulation.org/raising-concerns

Complain about the dispensing error as well as gdpr.

@Driftingthoughlife
This is a serious GDPR breach, I’d make a written complaint and contact the Information Commissioner https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaintt*<a class="break-all" href="http://go.mumsnet.com/?xs=1&id=470X1554755&url=ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/" target="_blank">//*

They have to report this to the ICO themselves too legally

Absolutely this ^^ OP. I'd also see if you could change the pharmacy where your meds are dispensed.

Additionally hopefully your DH has told his DM that neither he nor you will discuss this as it's a personal matter and absolutely nothing to do with her.

@thedisorganisedmum if a chemist arrived at my house with medicines I was not expecting I would not accept them 🤷🏻‍♀️

Other 'medical' type stuff has patient identification procedures to ensure mistakes like this can't happen, so I imagine it's a requirement in pharmacy too, so is probably a reportable mistake to the pharmacy regulator.

It's why they ask several things such as date of birth, name and address, as they have to differentiate between two people who could share a name and/or address.

I'd let the pharmacy know and expect them to explain the mistake and what they plan to do about it.

hopeishere
whilst I would just wonder what it is, if I have forgotten something and open to see what's inside

too disorganised to trust my memory

really sorry that happened to you OP/

Obviously it isn't okay AT ALL. Tell your MIL that just because the pharmacy have breached your right to medical privacy, it doesn't mean that she needs to make it worse.

Please do report the pharmacy, an error like that has already had serious consequences for you and could have a similar impact or result in someone taking incorrect medication if repeated.

I requested a full set of all my medical notes from my GP recently for a legal matter.

There is another woman registered at my GP with my first and last name (different middle name) and a year older than me.

When the requested notes arrived it was a complete set of this other woman's notes who is a complete stranger to me!

Have previously had GP looking at this other woman's notes during my consultation ("how are you getting on with XYZ drug?" "Never taken it in my life!" "Oops wrong notes!" )

It's incredibly careless and dangerous and a very serious matter.

Tell your MIL you need the antidepressants to help you cope with your in laws🙄

I was in the chemists the other day waiting for a prescription to be made up when the pharmacist came out with a bag for a man who was also waiting, she checked his address as is standard practice but then also loudly read out the name of the drug a well known anti-psychotic! I was a bit dumbfounded and didn't say anything cause I didn't want to draw attention to the man, but further training on confidentiality obviously needed.

Sick of chemists who arbitrarily disclose confidential details very loudly across the shop!! Bloody indiscreet bunch.

I've had a similar problem at 2 different chemists! Luckily because we weren't getting the prescription delivered, it wasn't sent to someone else. DH got his medication in a bag addressed to his dad; I got mine in a bag addressed to someone with the same surname. The label on the actual medication was correct. Neither of us had used the chemist's concerned before and it has put me off using either of them again.

I believe NHS England handles community pharmacy contracts.....I suspect that they would be interested to hear about this......