Blind RAF veteran died after taking another patient’s pills

Inquest: Breach in procedures admitted by staff at Boots branch

A blind Dundee-born RAF veteran died after a pharmacy gave him another patient’s prescription.

An inquest heard that 86-year-old widower Douglas Lamond received weekly medicine boxes from Boots, which were assembled in branch and contained pills in separate plastic compartments to take on different days.

Mr Lamond, pictured, had been receiving many different medications for complaints including type 2 diabetes, heart problems and glaucoma.

Detective Superintendent Andrew Smith said it was “very likely” that the medication error “hastened his death”.

He told yesterday’s hearing at Suffolk Coroner’s Court in Ipswich that the weekly pack, when opened, contained seven labels in the name of Anthony Lampard, but the label on the outside said Douglas Lamond.

The pack was assembled at the Boots branch in Orwell Road, Felixstowe, and delivered to Mr Lamond’s home in Stuart Close in the town on May 10 2012.

Mr Lamond died on May 12 at Ipswich Hospital after a friend called an ambulance for him.

Mr Smith said that a pharmacist and dispenser had admitted in a police interview that they had breached Boots’ standard procedures.

Dispenser Susan Hazelwood had slit open a compartment of a previously assembled medicine box to add pills that had been requested and then sealed it with sticky tape.

“She did not check the existing box to check it was in the name of Douglas Lamond,” said Mr Smith.

Pharmacist Mihaela Seceleanu had checked the box for the additional pills but not for the existing ones.

The Crown Prosecution Service said there was insufficient evidence to charge anybody with gross negligence manslaughter.

Following a right to review appeal by Mr Lamond’s family, Ms Seceleanu was cautioned under the Medicines Act 1968.

Mr Smith said that Mr Lamond depended on a number of prescription drugs and was “almost totally reliant on health professionals” preparing them for him, as he was registered blind.

Daughter Dianne Moore said in a statement read to the hearing: “There’s, somewhere, a failing in the dispensing process that I would like to see investigated so another family doesn’t have to go through such a traumatic experience.”

The inquest continues.

She did not check the existing box to check it was in the name of Douglas Lamond. DETECTIVE SUPERINTENDENT ANDREW SMITH