To ask the Minister of Health to detail any guidance his Department have given to pharmacists on the process to verify the identity of those collecting prescriptions.

For patient safety and governance issues my Department’s Strategic Planning and Performance Group (SPPG) support community pharmacies in having a procedure in place to verify patient identity when collecting prescriptions.

I can confirm the legacy Health and Social Care Board has issued guidance on this, notably as a campaign entitled “Are you the right person?” which featured counter-top stands and posters in community pharmacies.

Advice was issued again in July 2020 via a formal learning letter, in response to reports of errors due to miscommunication in the environment of screens, face-masks and people collecting medications for others in the community. This recommended community pharmacies take steps to mitigate against errors, providing the example of asking patients or their representatives to state their address back to them.

In addition, as part of the SPPG Community Pharmacy Assurance Framework, an assurance is asked that that there is a Standard Operating Procedure in place in all community pharmacies for the hand out of prescriptions.

Whilst patient safety and verifying the prescription medications are being handed to the intended person is paramount, there is an expectation that patient confidentiality should be respected. This is outlined in the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland Professional Standards and Guidance for Patient Confidentiality which states all reasonable steps should be taken to ensure appropriate levels of privacy for patient consultations so that confidential information is not overheard or accessed by others.