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The threat of prosecution and a custodial sentence for making an honest dispensing mistake has hung over the profession for far too long, something that was made very real by the infamous Elizabeth Lee case. So the news that the Department of Health has finally got around to publishing proposals for decriminalising dispensing errors is welcome indeed.

Better late than never, although too late, of course, for the unfortunate Ms Lee. The proposals would bring pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in line at last with other healthcare professionals when it comes to dealing with inadvertently-made errors. They also go a long way in encouraging a culture of openness with error reporting, something that is essential if any learnings are to be made and patient safety improved.