Beware
of these prescription scams!
11 April 2012; Incidents such as that described below have been
occurring in our Western Division (Chester/Northwich areas) but
could occur in Eastern Division.
THE FOLLOWING HAS BEEN RECEIVED FROM TRADING STANDARDS, PLEASE
SHARE WIDELY
Many pharmacies offer repeat prescription collection
schemes and patients can nominate a pharmacy to collect prescriptions
on their behalf as part of this service.
It has come to the
attention of Trading Standards via our Adult Safeguarding Team
that an individual claiming to be a pharmacy representative has
been attempting to order and collect prescriptions from GP practices
without patient consent.
Some prescriptions have been dispensed
in pharmacies other than the patient’s nominated or usual pharmacy
and it appears that a number of these prescriptions have not
been delivered to the patient at all.
If you are registered to a
repeat prescription collection service and have not received
your medication, work in a GP Surgery or Pharmacy that has been
subject to this fraudulent act then please report to Marilyn Knass
or Gail Curphey Pharmacy Leads for NHS Cheshire, Warrington and
Wirral on 01606 544421
23 November 2011; I have received an alert from the Cheshire Health
Agency (NHS) regarding a scam that has come to their attention.
On 1.11.2011, around the Weaverham area of Northwich, elderly
patients received a scam telephone call from a female advising
them that the government will put £2,000 into their bank account
if they will stop having their prescriptions delivered by their
pharmacy. These calls were an attempt to gain bank details from
elderly patients.
This alert has been sent out to all doctors surgeries and pharmacies
in the area.
If you are aware of any elderly persons who have their prescriptions
delivered by their local pharmacy (or even if they don't), especially
in the rural areas, please advise them of this alert. Please call
the Neighbourhood Policing Team on 0845 458 6371 if you come across
this scam.
JANE THIRSK
Watch Officer
Cheshire Police
Macclesfield Neighbourhood Policing Team 0845 458 6371
Police non-emergency number: 101
Other Homewatch pages of current relevance: Briefs (recent
crimes in the Macclesfield Division including Bollington, Kerridge
and Pott Shrigley).
If you haven't looked at the homewatch pages before we recommend
looking at the homewatch home page.
