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A pharmacist who as pharmacy manager dispensed prescriptions she received in the form of text messages from her husband and other doctors she knew has received a warning from the General Pharmaceutical Council.

Edugwu Fatu Enenche was found to have dispensed private prescriptions from her husband and friends in an inappropriate manner, which led to her being summarily dismissed from the community pharmacy where she worked when the matter came to light in late 2021.

The GPhC’s investigating committee found: “Mrs Enenche received prescriptions from the doctors via text messages, for example, and sometimes wrote out the prescription and allowed for the same to be dispensed.

“This was done without access to patient information, access to patients, or taking appropriate steps to ensure that the medicines dispensed were safe and appropriate for the patients.”

In some instances, the prescriptions had no legal validity as they were missing the prescriber’s signature or address.

Some cases “involved prescriptions for medicines the stability of which could not be guaranteed over the period prescribed and dispensed, or where the dose exceeded the maximum stated in the BNF”.

In addition, notes made in the pharmacy’s private prescriptions book “did not always accurately reflect key details such as the identity of the prescriber”.

The IC found that in the above cases, she had “acted as an intermediary between the doctors who prescribed the medicines” and not as “a pharmacist providing patient-centred care”.

The committee found that while there was no discernible financial motivation, as a pharmacist with eight years’ experience at the time in question her actions had posed a risk of harm to patients and could undermine public confidence in the profession.

However, it was satisfied that she now understands what is expected of her as a pharmacist and is unlikely to repeat the conduct in question.

The warning, which will appear on her registration until May 27, 2027, states: “Mrs Enenche is accordingly warned that she must in future ensure that any prescription she reviews is legally valid and is safe and appropriate for the patient before dispensing occurs, and she maintains accurate records of any private prescriptions dispensed and of any information material to the consideration of whether the medicines in question are safe and appropriate.”