Pharmacy Dispenses Unprescribed Class C Drug to Epilepsy Patient

An individual suffering from epilepsy expressed feeling “let down” by a pharmacy after it mistakenly provided him with a Class C medication that had not been prescribed for him. Dennis Moore, aged 67, reported experiencing illness shortly after consuming pregabalin, which he received from an Allied Pharmacies branch located in Jaywick, Essex. The BBC observed an image depicting a pharmacy label for gabapentin—a distinct controlled substance Mr. Moore uses thrice daily to control his ailment—affixed to a container of pregabalin, a medication Mr. Moore had never previously taken. The pharmacy issued an apology and stated that measures had been implemented to guarantee the reliability of its operational systems. Pregabalin is prescribed by the NHS for the treatment of epilepsy, as well as other ailments like nerve pain and anxiety. It was reclassified as a Class C drug in 2019, making its possession without a legitimate prescription unlawful. Karen, Mr. Moore’s wife, recounted the incident: “He took one and then he just crashed out for three hours. When he woke up, he was seeing double, he couldn’t walk straight and was holding on to everything.” Upon discovering the error, Mrs. Moore, 62, contacted the NHS 111 service, which recommended transporting her husband to the hospital; however, she stated that he wished to “ride it out.” She further explained: “I started panicking and thinking how on earth I could get him some gabapentin… because he has to take it three times a day and I didn’t have any here. I only had the incorrect medication here.” Mr. Moore commented: “I feel rather let down, to be totally honest.”They’ve literally got your life in their hands. I’d hate to hear of anyone else going through this… it really, really made me ill.” A spokesperson for Allied Pharmacies issued a statement: “We are very sorry for the distress experienced by Mr Moore and reassured that he suffered no lasting harm.”Over a billion prescriptions are issued nationally every year and Royal Pharmaceutical Society best practice demands that pharmacies log and address the very small proportion of errors made in the provision of medicine.”Our Jaywick branch took immediate steps to determine what happened and has already acted to ensure that its systems are robust.” The NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board advised Mr. Moore to engage with his local patient advice and liaison service regarding the incident. News concerning Essex is available on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding its policy on external linking is available.