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institution. The Member and his
staff noticed that the fax was illegible
as soon as it arrived, and could
have called the doctor’s office
immediately to verify the content of
the fax. This could have been
accomplished before the Complainant
arrived at the pharmacy. If
he was unable to reach the doctor’s
office, the Member should have
made further attempts to authenticate
the prescription. The Committee
noted that the solution offered
by the Member, namely, to seek a
new prescription at the neighbouring
medical clinic, would have been
a good one, had the physician there
prescribed narcotics.
The Committee was of the opinion
that while being guarded and
vigilant regarding possible forgeries,
Members ought to remain equally
open to the possibility of authenticity.
The Member ought to have
noticed that the Complainant was
willing to wait for half an hour for
the police to arrive in order to clear
his name. The fact that the police
confirmed that he attended at the
hospital that day ought to have provided
further pertinent information
to the pharmacist when making a
professional judgment to refuse to
dispense. Even though he had
made that decision on a suspicion,
the Member should have continued
to evaluate the facts of the situation
as it evolved, and continued to exercise
professional judgment as the
events unfolded.
Pharmacists must always consider
the broader effects of their
actions. The Member’s decision to
call the police might have resulted
in consequences, however temporary,
that could have had lasting
effects on the young child.
The Committee found it necessary
to emphasize that it is essential
for pharmacists in community practice
to have both strong communications
skills, professional courtesy,
and to consider the potential for
significant implications that their
actions may have on their patients.
The Committee, while acknowledging
that forgery is a prevalent
problem, reminds members that
professional judgment must be used
to evaluate situations as changes
occur.
Thus the initial refusal to dispense
ought to have evolved into
the pharmacist taking on the role of
an advocate for the patient, as he
came to realize that the prescription
was from the doctor at the hospital,
and that the patient was indeed in
pain. He ought to have sought
solutions within the framework of
the Standards of Practice for Pharmacists
to assist the patient, and he
ought to have communicated his
challenges or concerns to the
patient.
The Committee notes that it is
the pharmacist’s responsibility to
ensure that all possibilities have
been exhausted, to provide the necessary
patient care before leaving a
patient without relief.
Practice Advisory
Ensuring a Prescription is Authentic
Elaine Maloney
Practice Advisory Officer
“Prior to dispensing any medications,
the pharmacist shall review the
prescription to ensure it is authentic,
accurate, appropriate, and complete.”(Standards
of Practice, Operational
Component 1.3)
The Close-up on Complaints article
“Verifying Narcotic Prescriptions:
A Guide to Vigilance” describes some
of the challenges which a pharmacist
might face in verifying a narcotic prescription.
Determining the authenticity
of a narcotic prescription requires
careful consideration on the spot.
The College published an article
in the September/October 2006 issue
of Pharmacy Connection an article to
assist pharmacists when handling
prescriptions that are possible forgeries,
entitled “Preventing and Handling
Prescription Forgeries.” This
article is also available on the College’s
website.
Pharmacy Connection January • February 2007 33