Prescription mix up

[karmaz]

Today at my chemist they somehow managed to give my prescription to someone else who obviously didn't realise that they had been given the wrong medication and left with it. I had been waiting for ages and when they realised what had happened there was a bit of a fuss and cross words from the pharmacist directed at the person who had been handing them out. They had to redo my prescription which was then missing items as they had run out of stock of some of my medications. So not only has someone got the wrong items but they now have a copy of my script telling them my name /address/d.o.b/nhs number and a list of all my medications. Feeling rather piddled off that some stranger has now got all this information about me. Isn't this a breech of data control or the such. I am assuming that the person will not be as silly to take my medications?

This has happened to my elderly Dad recently 82 yo. He ended up with someone else's prescription, and tried to inhale tablets that were for urinary infections into his lungs. Not great, but luckily the contraption he uses to do it didn't really work and it was only then he started looking at the packet. Although it is a breach of data, and you have every right to be cross about it, depending what it is, the people getting your medication will be far worse off. Older people take what they have been prescribed without sometimes knowing what it is. I only hope that they have contacted them.

I am assuming that the person will not be as silly to take my medications? I am assuming the pharmacy will have been urgently trying to contact the person. I think they might have to report it (not sure who to). Thing is the medication can come in so many different packaging these days I wouldn't assume someone wouldn't take them. But the pharmacy should have procedures for this.

The pharmacy whilst I was there couldn't work out who had received my prescription. There wasn't a spare script.. The person who was handing them out just knew that he handed out a bag of medication that was most probably mine to a man who said he had a pre payment cert. By the time they realised a mistake had been made he was long gone. A proper mess up!

I don’t think prescription labels have all that information on - only name and medication information? (Although they still have this info).

So it sounds as if they might have given your medication to someone along with his own. They should be trying to contact everyone they dispensed a prescription to, but that isn't really your problem. Yours is the fact they have breached your confidentiality in a serious, albeit limited way.

I would report it as a concern to the General Pharmaceutical Council, and make a complaint to NHS England, assuming you're in England.

@Riverlee repeat prescriptions are usually dispensed with a 'B side' which is a list of all your current meds, your name, address, date of birth and NHS number so you can use it for reordering.

Ours is given out with a copy of the repeat prescription request , with personal details on.

Just to update I went to collect the remainder of my items today. I spoke to the pharmacist. She told me that the person who was given my medication in error brought it back as soon as he realised the items were not his. So luckily there were no problems there with someone taking the incorrect medication. I told her about my worries regarding someone being given so much of my personal information and how it was a breech of confidentiality. She kept saying that she was sure as she could be that this man hadn't looked at my information and kept asking what she could do to put it right. She also said that she would have to submit a written report because of the error. She then apologised. So in the end fortunately no real harm was done except for my details being given to a complete stranger who hopefully wasn't interested in them. Plus it has given the pharmacy a reminder to take more care in future.

Good news that the other party hasn't taken your medication, that's a relief. And yes, I'm sure the pharmacist is correct that he almost certainly hasn't looked at your confidential info but I would still report it yourself rather than rely on the pharmacy to do so.