Pharmacist Fola Mustapha, registration number 2229270, was given a warning earlier this month (December 3) for “incorrectly” dispensing an opioid medicine instead of emergency contraception (EC), the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has revealed.
The investigating committee found that Mustapha had “failed to undertake proper identity checks prior to dispensing the incorrect medication” to the patient, the determination document said.
Once the error was discovered, she also “failed to explain the possible side effects of consuming the wrong medication to the patient” and failed to “provide safety netting”, it added.
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The regulator warned Mustapha to “ensure all clinical and accuracy checks are completed to a high standard to ensure public safety”.
And it stressed that “any repetition of the same or similar failings is likely to result in a more serious regulatory intervention”.
“Failed to report” the matter
While working as a responsible pharmacist last December, Mustapha “incorrectly dispensed an Espranor tablet (buprenorphine)” to a patient – an opioid medicine and a schedule 3 controlled drug – “instead of a prescribed Ella One tablet”, the GPhC said.
As well as failing to explain possible side effects of the incorrect medicine, she also “failed to report and escalate the matter to pharmacy staff”, a step which is “required in line with her duty of candour and GPhC standards”, it added.
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The committee also noted that the two medications “were not look alike sound alike medicines” and are used for “completely different treatments”.
The patient “suffered side effects” including sickness, dizziness and nausea “after consuming the wrong medication”, the regulator said.
And it noted that these symptoms “necessitated her being attended by the ambulance service who administered medication to alleviate the side effects”.
“Person-centred care”
The committee found that Mustapha failed to “deliver person-centred care and consider the impact of their practice”.
She also failed to “assess the risks” in the care she provided and “do everything” she could “to keep these risks as low as possible”, it added.
The GPhC warned her to “ensure all clinical and accuracy checks are completed to a high standard” so that “public confidence [is] assured”.
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Mustapha was also ordered to “ensure that should a patient safety issue come about in the future” matters should be “acted upon without delay”.
The GPhC concluded the “appropriate” outcome is a warning to be published on the register and available for 12 months.
Read the determination in full here.
