asked the Minister for Health what report, if any, he has received in relation to the death and the circumstances which led up to the death of a person (name supplied) in Dublin who was a medical card holder and who received a wrong prescription from a Dublin hospital.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Medical Card Holder's Death.
5.
I have received information in this matter from the hospital concerned and the Eastern Health Board. I am informed that, while the correct prescription was issued by the hospital to the person concerned, apparently he collected, for some inexplicable reason, the wrong prescription. The Eastern Health Board have assured me that they always exercise a careful control on prescriptions, and introduced a tighter control after this occurrence.
With effect from 1st April, 1972, medical card holders can obtain medicines prescribed for them from retail chemists.
As the Deputy is aware, the postmortem findings revealed that death was due to heart failure and that the medicines given to him on foot of the prescription could not have contributed to his condition.
Is the Minister aware that two mistakes prior to this person's death were made, one by a Dublin hospital and the other by the Eastern Health Board dispensary? While, as is understandable, the dispensaries have a heavy volume of work to deal with, the most serious mistake, as I am sure the Minister is aware, was at the hospital end. He must also be aware of the statement by the hospital concerned claiming that this person must have picked up the wrong prescription. Is he satisfied that in the out-patient department in any hospital, not only in Dublin, but in the country, proper scrutiny and proper procedures are carried out to avoid such an occurrence? Is he satisfied that there is sufficient control to ensure that such occurrences should not and will not happen and is he going to do something about it by issuing a statement to the hospitals asking them to be a little more careful? Is he also aware——
We cannot debate this question all evening. The Deputy has put his question and it is a very long question.
I am putting the point to the Minister——
The Deputy is not entitled to debate the matter or to make a statement.
Is the Minister satisfied that the procedures at out-patient departments are of such a nature that this type of thing will not happen again as it did in this man's case?
I have already indicated to the Deputy that action is being taken by the Eastern Health Board to ensure that this kind of thing will not happen but I cannot recall any question of this nature being asked before so the Deputy can be assured that it does not often happen. It is a matter for the Eastern Health Board and not primarily my concern to ensure that these prescriptions are given properly.
Would the Minister agree that there are many hospitals other than those under the Eastern Health Board jurisdiction——
The question relates to one specific case.
Surely the Minister has some degree of responsibility to ensure that no death will occur?