Weather
CHINGFORD: Pharmacist supplied out-of-date drugs (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)
Get involved: send your pictures, video, news & views by texting WFNEWS to 80360, or email us
Waltham Forest News RSS Feed
CHINGFORD: Pharmacist supplied out-of-date drugs
2:10pm Tuesday 12th May 2009
A SEVERELY ill grandfather-of-five was given out-of-date and potentially harmful drugs by a pharmacist.
Anthony Pullum, 64, of Bushey Close, Chingford, is a disabled diabetic with serious heart problems, an enlarged liver and high blood pressure.
His GP prescribed courses of Stilnoct (a strong sleeping pill) and Perindopril, which is used to treat high blood pressure, and Mr Pullum picked up his drugs from Benjamin Pharmacy, in Chingford Mount Road.
But Mr Pullum's wife Olena later noticed that the Stilnoct packet had an expiry date of August 2008, and was fortunately able to warn her husband before he took the medication.
She said: "We all know that taking out-of-date tablets can cause serious complications, poisoning and even death, what would have happened if he took them?
"He just trusts the medical people to give the correct drugs."
Mr Pullum, who has a history of heart surgery, said: "I just did not realise they were out of date i just take the pills, my wife noticed it, luckily."
Mr Pullum said that he went into the pharmacy to complain, but the member of staff at the pharmacist he spoke to did not take his complaint seriously.
The couple are now considering reporting the matter to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, which regulates pharmacists and investigates complaints.
The NHS Choices website recommends patients only take medicines which are within their expiry date, It says: "After the expiry date medicines may be harmful or lose some or all of their effectiveness (ability to work)."
Raymond Benjamin, the leading pharmacist at Benjamin Pharmacy, said: "I was concerned to hear about this incident.
"I will be reviewing and refining our systems and processes to help us ensure that the situation never occurs again.
"I'm relieved that the patient had not taken the medication and I've offered my sincere apologies."
More Waltham Forest News stories
- WALTHAM FOREST: Union passes "no confidence" vote in council leadership
- WALTHAM FOREST: Point of contamination in River Lea identified
- FOCUS ON: Taste of countryside in city farm in Leyton
- WALTHAMSTOW: Photographer captures the lives of Londoners for exhibition
- CHINGFORD: Riding school faces uncertain future due to drop in numbers
- LEYTON: Comedy actress releases record to raise money for charity
- WALTHAMSTOW: "Fly-tipper" denies dumping rubbish
- LEYTONSTONE: Couple make it three diamond weddings in one family
- WALTHAMSTOW: Murder victim named
- WALTHAM FOREST: Social worker banned after having sex with mentally ill mother
The out of date drugs
Local Advertisers
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
ferdy55, AtHome says...
3:55pm Tue 12 May 09
May be harmful!!
But this woman seems to be an expert & states "We all know that taking out-of-date tablets can cause serious complications, poisoning and even death, what would have happened if he took them?
He wouldnt have got to sleep as the report says only the sleeping pills were out of date. His blood pressure tablets were fine.
A big fuss about nothing. All they had to do was go back to the chemist & have a quiet word to say "I'm afraid the packet of pills you gave me were out of date".
I found some packets of out of date frozen chips in Morrisons last week. Instead of telling the manager, as I did, I should have phoned the Guardian first!