Medicine blunder puts nursing home patient in hospital

Published on Wednesday 3 May 2006 00:53

A MISTAKE with medication has left an elderly resident of a nursing home "seriously ill" in hospital.

It is understood that James McCann was administered another patient's drugs for five weeks before the mistake was detected.

Care Commission investigators have launched an inquiry into why the wrong drugs were given to Mr McCann at the Darroch Nursing Home in Cumbernauld, Lanarkshire.

The investigation comes after The Scotsman revealed that one in seven care homes are administering drugs without the consent of residents.

National Care Standards say any covert medication must be done for sound medical reasons only, but charities are concerned regulations should be tightened. The standards also make sure systems are in place to ensure the correct drugs are given to residents and monitored for safety.

Patients at homes such as Darroch are prescribed medication by a GP, the drugs are processed by an external pharmacy and supplied in bespoke packs to the care home, where they are administered to the resident by staff.

It is thought that Mr McCann was given thyroid and steroid drugs intended for another resident, whose surname also begins with the letter M.

The Care Commission investigation will try to establish where in the medical chain the error occurred. A spokesman said: "The Care Commission is committed to regulating for improvement in line with the Scottish ministers' National Care Standards.

"One of these standards relates to the management of medication for users of care homes and, as such, we treat any allegation of mismanagement of medication extremely seriously. However, it would be inappropriate to comment further until the investigation is complete."

The recent investigation began after the Care Commission received a complaint from Mr McCann's daughter.

Darroch Nursing Home looks after 43 residents. The Care Commission's most recent published report into a visit to the home took place last October.

No-one was available at Darroch to comment on Mr McCann's case.