Haverhill PharmacyIncludes reports addressed to a minister or senior office-holder acting for this organisation.

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First report 7 Dec 2019•Latest report 7 Dec 2019

Reports, concerns and published responses

Reports over time

Reports naming this recipient by issue year.

* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.

Reports
1

Naming this recipient

Published responses
100%

Found for named reports

Concerns addressed
1

Across all linked responses

Stated actions
1

Described in responses

Concerns and recipient responses

Statements from Haverhill Pharmacy linked to the concerns in each report. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

  1. Addressed to: Head Pharmacist, Haverhill Pharmacy.

    Suffolk

    AI-generated summary

    Matthew Colin FITTEN · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Matthew Fitten was found deceased at home on 17 April 2020, and toxicology identified a toxic quantity of methadone in his blood. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his methadone collection was changed from three times per week to fortnightly, but he received three large bottles without a measuring jug or instructions for accurately measuring his prescribed daily dose. The report identifies concerns that this increased access to methadone and the lack of suitable dosing arrangements contributed to his death.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Haverhill Pharmacy; that does not assign responsibility.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Failure to provide measuring equipment and instructions for accurate daily methadone dosing

    Wider context from the report

    “During the evidence it was heard that at the start of the Covid19 pandemic PHE guidance was issued to Turning Point (the Suffolk Recovery Network) that individuals on opiate replacement treatment (Methadone) should be moved off short term (daily or tri-weekly) prescription collections to longer term ones. In Matthew’s case his collection was changed from 3 times per week to fortnightly. The doctor who made the changes to the prescription stipulated that Matthew’s dose must be in single daily dosage bottles. Matthew had a secure store in his home and was used to taking his Methadone from single daily dosage bottles. In addition the Turning Point doctor had sent a letter to all of the pharmacy’s that supplied opiate replacement therapies to his patients, explaining that only daily usage bottles should be prescribed. On the 15th April 2020 Matthew collected his 14-day methadone supply from the Haverhill Pharmacy in Haverhill, Suffolk. Evidence produced by Matthews father during the inquest itself, clearly showed that Matthew had been issued three bottles of Methadone to cover the 14-day period. These bottles contained 100ml, 156ml and 500ml of Methadone respectively. In addition, because Matthew’s prescription had been for single dose bottles a separate ‘measuring jug’ had not been prescribed by the Turning Point doctor. Matthew’s prescribed dose of Methadone was 54ml daily. As such, when Matthew was given the 100ml, 156ml and 500ml Methadone bottles on the 15th April 2020, he was not given anything to accurately measure his daily dose from them. It is therefore probable, that due to a lack of a measuring jug, Matthew guessed his first dose from the larger Methadone bottles with tragic consequences. Had Matthew been given daily dose bottles of Methadone as prescribed, or a measuring jug and instructions on how to use it had been provided, on a balance of probability basis his death would not have occurred. ”
    Open source report

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Haverhill Pharmacy; that does not assign responsibility.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Failure to dispense prescribed methadone in single daily dosage bottles

    Wider context from the report

    “During the evidence it was heard that at the start of the Covid19 pandemic PHE guidance was issued to Turning Point (the Suffolk Recovery Network) that individuals on opiate replacement treatment (Methadone) should be moved off short term (daily or tri-weekly) prescription collections to longer term ones. In Matthew’s case his collection was changed from 3 times per week to fortnightly. The doctor who made the changes to the prescription stipulated that Matthew’s dose must be in single daily dosage bottles. Matthew had a secure store in his home and was used to taking his Methadone from single daily dosage bottles. In addition the Turning Point doctor had sent a letter to all of the pharmacy’s that supplied opiate replacement therapies to his patients, explaining that only daily usage bottles should be prescribed. On the 15th April 2020 Matthew collected his 14-day methadone supply from the Haverhill Pharmacy in Haverhill, Suffolk. Evidence produced by Matthews father during the inquest itself, clearly showed that Matthew had been issued three bottles of Methadone to cover the 14-day period. These bottles contained 100ml, 156ml and 500ml of Methadone respectively. In addition, because Matthew’s prescription had been for single dose bottles a separate ‘measuring jug’ had not been prescribed by the Turning Point doctor. Matthew’s prescribed dose of Methadone was 54ml daily. As such, when Matthew was given the 100ml, 156ml and 500ml Methadone bottles on the 15th April 2020, he was not given anything to accurately measure his daily dose from them. It is therefore probable, that due to a lack of a measuring jug, Matthew guessed his first dose from the larger Methadone bottles with tragic consequences. Had Matthew been given daily dose bottles of Methadone as prescribed, or a measuring jug and instructions on how to use it had been provided, on a balance of probability basis his death would not have occurred. ”
    Open source report

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Continue supplying methadone in individual dose containers as the pharmacy’s standard procedure.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “As explained above that pharmacy may have made supply in bigger bottles than individual dose bottles. This is not the normal practice of the pharmacy. Haverhill pharmacy always ensure safety and wellbeing of patients. April 2020 was an unprecedented time and all pharmacies were dealing with staff issues, supply issues and abuse from patients towards the NHS staff. All these factors may have made the pharmacy supply the methadone not in individual bottles.”

    Source location

    2020-0275-Response-from-Haverhill-Pharmacy-Redacted
    Page 10 · response
    Published 5 January 2021

    Open published response
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Information checked against published PFD reports and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations

Data last updated 7 September 2026