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Safety of patients at risk when ordering prescriptions online

Online providers of medical prescriptions have been criticised by inspectors for putting the safety of patients at risk.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) found some GPs were not properly checking patient histories before prescribing drugs online.

One website, which has now been suspended for six months, authorised a prescription in just 17 seconds after the application was made.

Lesley Herbertson, senior clinical intelligence solicitor at PotterReesDolan, said:

The importance in getting a patient’s prescription right and the potential risks if a prescription is wrong cannot be stressed enough. Any new prescription requires the prescribing doctor to have a full understanding of the patient’s relevant medical history and to be alive to any contraindications to prescription of the proposed drug.

Great care also needs to be taken with routine repeat prescriptions and medical assessment reviews are an essential part of clinical practice. For example, we have acted on behalf of a young woman who developed glaucoma as a result of the unmonitored prescription of hydrocortisone cream for eczema around her eyes.

You can read more case studies of our clients who have suffered medical negligence here.

Lesley Herbertson is a senior clinical negligence solicitor with PotterReesDolan. Should you have any queries about negligence when being prescribed medicine or indeed any other clinical negligence issues and wish to speak to Lesley or any other member of the team please contact us on 0161 237 5888 or email Lesley.