You are a hospital pharmacist, with extensive responsibilities. Part of your current role is in an acute mental health in-patient unit, where you carefully monitor the use of a range of powerful pharmaceutical therapies.
One of your patients is a 52-year-old white woman called Lisa.
Lisa is single and has been unemployed for three years after being made redundant from her job as a hospital receptionist. Over the past two years she has made three attempts on her life while suffering severe clinical depression. One of these resulted in a lengthy spell of hospitalisation.
Lisa is currently a voluntary patient on the unit. Over the last few days Lisa has been refusing her medication, which she feels does nothing whatsoever to help her. In fact, she says she feels helpless in the situation she finds herself in.
Today, while making a drink in the staff room, you overhear a conversation between two of the nurses. You are surprised to discover that the senior nurse on duty, Sally Baker, has been concealing anti-depressants in Lisa’s food. You do not get on with Sally at a personal level. (Adapted from: Seedhouse and Peutherer, Using Personal Judgement in Nursing and Healthcare, Sage 2020)
See: https://www.care-quality.co.uk/nice-guidance-helps-to-reduce-the-risks-posed-by-covert-medication/; https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-providers/adult-social-care/covert-administration-medicines;
What should you do?