Updated with health shadow minister's statement

The use of expired medicine at Mater Dei Hospital was not an isolated case and doctors have in the past authorised the use of medication past its use-by date, Health Minister Chris Fearne told this newspaper yesterday.

Questioned by the Times of Malta after the launch of an inquiry into the use of expired Tamiflu at the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit last week, Mr Fearne said there have been cases, both in Malta and abroad, where the use of expired medicines was authorised.

READ: Hospital gave ITU patients expired medicine

“The government’s policy is not to use out-of-date medicine, but I repeat, there have been cases, everywhere around the world including, over the years, in Malta, where despite the medicine being expired, it was still used, with no detriment to patients’ health,” Mr Fearne said.

He insisted, however, that he would not comment on the recent case but would await the results of the inquiry. Asked whether, at present, there were other expired medicines being administered to patients, Mr Fearne reiterated that this was not the case.

The hospital pharmacy ran out some time in May. Expired stock has since been used – even though it was only administered to patients who were in critical condition

He added that, despite the hospital’s policy clearly stipulating that expired medicine should not be used, it did not mean that “there would not be any exception”.

“Because of the H1N1 epidemic some years back, for instance, countries have been calling on the manufacturer to extend the expiry date of the Tamiflu by some two years,” Mr Fearne said.

Health Minister Chris Fearne

The hospital’s pharmacy had a large stock from 2009, when fears of a swine flu epidemic were high. Mr Fearne said the unused stock was worth some €600,000.  As a result, whenever patients required Tamiflu, they would be administered medicine from that stock.

According to reports that reached this newspaper, the hospital pharmacy ran out of the medication at some point in May.

Expired stock has since been used – even though it was only administered to patients who were in critical condition, the sources said, adding that a special form had first to be filled in before the expired medication was handed out by the pharmacy. This, according to hospital CEO Ivan Falzon, came after discussions between clinicians and medical authorities.

Doctors have noted that the use of expired medicine was not uncommon because some medicinal products are still be effective past their expiry date.

Reports 'shocking' - health shadow minister

Reports that expired medicine was being used were “shocking” and raised doubts on the treatment of vulnerable patients, health shadow minister Claudette Buttigieg said today.

The minister launched an inquiry into the use of expired Tamiflu at the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit last week but said the use of expired medicine at Mater Dei Hospital was not an isolated case and doctors have in the past authorised the use of medication past its use-by date.

Addressing a news conference, Ms Buttigieg said that since this happened at the intensive therapy unit, one of the most crucial departments where patients would be fighting for their lives, it raised serious doubts on the well-being of patients.

She insisted that the health minister’s claims that the practice of administering expired medicine occurred all over the world and in Malta did not justify the use of out of date medicines.

“If this is really standard practice, then why did the minister order an inquiry? Was is because the medicine had expired by a number of months?” she asked.

The fact that the medicine had already been earmarked for disposal, she went on, was another cause for concern since batches being thrown away might not have been stored under proper conditions.

“The issue isn’t just about the medicine being expired. Medicinal products need to be stored in specific conditions,” Ms Buttigieg said.

She also raised doubts about the minister’s repeated claims that all medicines were in stock. 

claire.caruana@timesofmalta.com