More on methotrexate
June 19, 2014
THE Pharmacy Board of Australia
said it was aware of four serious
adverse events since 2011,
including fatalities, related to
errors in prescribing and dispensing
methotrexate (PD 16 Jun).
It said this was “four too many”
and it had raised the issue in its
May communiqué as an important
public safety message and to
educate the profession.
A spokesperson for the Board
said there had previously been
cases involving errors in the
administration and dispensation
of methotrexate in the Victorian
coroners’ court, interstate and
overseas.
The communiqué referred
to this information and other
investigations underway by other
agencies that the Board was aware
of, the spokesperson said.
This was unfortunately not a
new concern for the Board, which
had also raised the issue in its
September communiqué and had
issued guidance on dispensing
medications.
The Board took its role in
protecting the public and educating
the profession about safety risks
seriously, it said.
The spokesperson said as
regulators, Australian Health
Practitioner Regulation Agency
(AHPRA) and the Board were not
able to release detail or make
comment on individual matters.
“Any restrictions imposed by the
Board on the registration of any
pharmacist are published on the
register of practitioners at www.
ahpra.gov.au.”
The AHPRA annual and National
Boards 2012-13 report showed
of the 429 notifications received
about the pharmacy profession,
244 were about pharmacy/
medication.
The Guild said in 2013 that
community pharmacy dispensed
about 200m prescriptions annually.
To read the May communiqué
alerting the profession to the issue,
CLICK HERE.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 19 Jun 14To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 19 Jun 14
