Man Suffers Fatal Heart Attack After Pharmacy Runs Out of Meds, Gives Him 'IOU' Note Instead

A man in West Yorkshire suffered a fatal heart attack after his pharmacy ran out of his critical epilepsy medication and left him with a handwritten "IOU" note instead, sparking outrage and calls for a review of medical supply chains.

David Crompton suffered a fatal heart attack on December 13 after Midway Pharmacy failed to deliver Tegretol, according to a coroner's report.

The incident marks the second time the pharmacy ran out of the drug, leaving Crompton without medicine for extended periods of time. A similar shortage in April 2024 caused him to fall, which experts believe contributed to his deteriorating health, according to BBC.

Without this medication, his condition would likely "destabilize and give rise to fits," said West Yorkshire senior coroner Kevin McLoughlin in his Prevention of Future Deaths report.

Despite delivering other prescriptions to Crompton's home in December, the pharmacy left him with a handwritten "IOU" note for Tegretol.

The coroner's report criticized Midway Pharmacy for lacking protocols to address shortages and failing to guide patients toward alternative sources for life-saving drugs.

"It is important that when anti-epileptic medication is prescribed by a GP that this is obtained and supplied promptly by the dispensing pharmacy," McLoughlin wrote.

Crompton's December fall resulted in complications, including cardiac arrest, oxygen deprivation, and a cervical spine injury, according to McLoughlin.

Hospital specialists warned earlier in 2024 that a 10-day gap in Crompton's Tegretol regimen could worsen seizure activity, according to BBC. McLoughlin's report questioned whether the pharmacy took adequate steps to prevent such incidents from reoccurring.

Crompton's death prompted Clare Pelham, CEO of the Epilepsy Society, to call for a review of medical supply chains. She described the situation as a "life-threatening problem" with no safety net for patients reliant on consistent medication.

"For many people with epilepsy, there is no Plan B when their medication is not available," Pelham said. "It is critical that another family doesn't have to experience this devastating loss."

The General Pharmaceutical Council did not respond to BBC's request for comment.