[WATCH] Health Minister ‘unaware’ hospital green-lighted use of expired medicine

Health Minister clarifies Tamiflu distribution • Video by Chris Mangion

No expired medicine was issued or distributed from Mater Dei, except in the case of three patients where the specialists decided to make use of reserve stock, according to health minister Chris Fearne.

The minister said that he had launched an inquiry following reports that Mater Dei Hospital had greenlighted the distribution of Tamiflu medicine which was already expired to patients.

The minister said he was only made aware of the issue after it had been flagged by The Times of Malta, which published the story today.

He said he had not been notified beforehand of the decision but added that Tamiflu was not one of the medicines the government was bound to provide.

Fearne explained it was accepted general practice in healthcare to use reserve stock in the case of a shortfall in ready supply, in cases of emergency.

“I am informed that, in the case of three patients, it was decided to make use of this available stock and that it is not rare that such stock of medicines are used on the advice of the specialists,” he said. “In this case, I have appointed an inquiry and we will now have to await its income in two weeks’ time.”

When asked by MaltaToday if he felt it was acceptable for the public health service to issue expired medicine - even if not one the government was bound to provide - the minister said he had immediately ordered an inquiry to determine whether anyone was to blame and whether there was – in fact – any blame to place.

Fearne was speaking at the end of a press conference held at the Floriana Health Centre to launch a number of activities being introduced to celebrate World Diabetes Day.

He said that around this time last year, the government had launched a five-year National Diabetes Plan, that had already seen the introduction of new and additional equipment.

Under the same plan, the government would also be re-introducing a number of benefits that had been cancelled in 2012, mainly access to free dental care and free prescription spectacles for diabetes sufferers.

Eye-testing camera equipment helps diagnose 100 people a year with symptoms that could lead to diabetes

Fearne said there are currently around 30,000 people suffering from diabetes but pointed out that two out of three people with symptoms and maladies that could develop into diabetes were not even aware.

New eye-testing camera equipment was installed at Floriana and Mosta health centres, and these – and others at Mater Dei Hospital – were being used to test around 4,000 people every year.

Of those, an average of 100 each year were diagnosed with symptoms that could lead to diabetes.