DECRIMINALISATION OF SINGLE DISPENSING ERRORS

Early day motion 1561, tabled 1 June 2009 by Howard Stoate (Labour). Signed by 234 members.

That this House recognises that community pharmacists are on the front line in providing vital services to NHS patients in a high-pressure environment; notes that under the Medicines Act 1968pharmacists who make an error while dispensing medicines are regularly tried for a criminal offence; is concerned that this discourages healthcare professionals who fear being criminalised from reporting dispensing errors; is further concerned that this limits opportunities to record mistakes and to learn from these errors; notes that the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency is currently undertaking a project to review medicines legislation; and calls on the Government to work with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain to ensure that amended legislation offers a more proportionate response with the flexibility to recognise a genuine single dispensing error.

Signatures by party: Labour 128, Liberal Democrat 49, Conservative 41, DUP 4, Independent 3, Scottish National Party 3, Plaid Cymru 2, Social Democratic and Labour Party 2, Independent Labour 1, Respect 1.