Correct procedure and protocol??

[Atty 9]

Hi i was wanting some advice if possible. A dental therapist i know has given my friend some antibiotics as they had toothache away from the practice they work at and not by appointment. They didn't check for their medical history, didn't see them face to face or over the phone even and didn't ask about any allergies. I was under the impression that only dentists can prescribe these drugs. They have now had to be seen to have an extraction anyway at a different surgery to the one the therapist works at.
Would this be classed as a disciplinary issue for the therapist as i'm told this isn't the first time she has done it just taking antibiotics from work to give to people.
Morally i am struggling with what to do here as someone could end up in serious trouble.

 

[Dr M]

Dental therapist can prescribe antibiotics if indicated. Usually it is only done when there has been a consult or if the patient is an existing patient. It is unethical to prescribe any medicine to any patient you have not seen before.

 

[Brause]

Some reading by the American Association of Endodontists:

Antibiotics: A Risky Prescription - American Association of Endodontists

The adverse effects of overusing and misusing antibiotics are highly publicized in the health professional literature, most recently in the August issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 2 million people in...

www.aae.org

 

[Atty 9]

Dental therapist can prescribe antibiotics if indicated. Usually it is only done when there has been a consult or if the patient is an existing patient. It is unethical to prescribe any medicine to any patient you have not seen before.

Thanks for the reply, the antibiotics were Amoxicillin so i don't think a Therapist can issue these. There is also the ethical issue that these have been taken from the practice without been recorded or patient issued and i'm sure the practice manager and the dentist that owns the surgery knows nothing about it that's why morally i don't want to get them into trouble if it is just the one bad egg doing this. What advise would you give me to report this?

 

[Dr M]

A therapist can issue Amoxicillin, but not without seeing the patient or recording it. You can send an anonymous email to the practice manager informing them of the issue.