Pharmacist sacked for wrong medication

A PHARMACIST assistant who was fired for issuing wrong prescriptions to the sick failed in his court bid to get his job back from DisChem Pharmacies.

In a judgment handed down at the Labour Court last week, Judge Robert Lagrange dismissed Lesedi John Moeti’s application to review his dismissal.

“The incorrect capturing of the Calcicard medication could have caused blackouts in the patient,” Judge Lagrange said in his ruling about one of Moeti’s errors.

Moeti captured this prescription as “one tablet three times a day once daily”, while it was supposed to be a dosage of one tablet a day. The medication treats illnesses like heart disorders, hypertension and migraine.

His errors were discovered by his seniors in the computer system used in branches.

Moeti worked at a DisChem pharmacy in Johannesburg and had been in his position for two weeks when his errors were detected.

He was, however, cleared of a charge of misrepresenting his qualification and experience.

His certificate and experience as a pharmacist assistant were found to be legitimate.

Relying on “overwhelming” evidence from a dispensary manager, Dis-Chem fired Moeti for gross negligence in completing prescriptions. For Glamaryl, used for type 2 diabetes, it was found that the dose he entered in the system was three times the prescribed dose.

In the case of Carvetrend, used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure, the prescription Moeti entered was three tablets daily instead of one.

Calciferol, which helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorus, requires a dosage of one tablet twice a week. But Dis-Chem’s records showed Moeti prescribed it as “two tablets three times a day weekly”.

An Autrin dosage of one capsule a day was captured as “immediately and then for cough once daily”, “whereas the medication is an iron supplement not used for coughing,” Judge Lagrange said.

In another case, Moeti prescribed an antibiotic tablet for a child, instead of an antibiotic syrup. “Fortunately, the error was detected by a pharmacist before the medication was dispensed,” the judge said.

Moeti’s defence was that Dis-Chem had fabricated allegations to get rid of him.

An arbitrator found the claim to be “patently false”.

Ruling to have Moeti dismissed, the arbitrator said: “I cannot see how sound employment relationship could ever be expected to develop between an employer and employee when the employee falsely accuses his or her employer of plotting to have him dismissed.”

@BonganiNkosi87