A CITY-centre pharmacy is being investigated by a professional body after it supplied a patient with out-of-date drugs.

Dale Edwards, 42, had used the anti-depressants for a couple of weeks before he realised they should have been destroyed two months earlier.

He immediately stopped using them and contacted his GP. He also reported the Boots’ store in Coney Street, where he bought them, to the General Pharmaceutical Council.

A store spokesman said it was an “isolated incident” and it was now reviewing its procedures.

“I didn’t notice any side-effects and hopefully these drugs haven’t done me any harm,” said Mr Edwards.

“I had to stop taking them – you don’t take out-of-date drugs, we are always told that. If other people with more serious medical conditions are issued drugs, it is critical they are in date. It could lead to people’s death, possibly. I wonder how long they had been in the Boots store.”

Mr Edwards, of Newborough Street, Bootham, was prescribed the drugs in March and received two boxes of fluvoxamine on March 30.

But in mid-April, he realised the date “01/11” was embossed on the boxes, meaning the drugs had expired at the end of January.

He went back to the store where he says he got different advice on two different days about what he should do. He then reported the store to the General Pharmaceutical Council, which has begun an investigation into the incident.

A spokesman for Boots UK said: “We are sorry for the distress caused to Mr Edwards and would like to reassure him that this is an isolated incident. We would like to invite Mr Edwards to visit our Pharmacy Manager in Coney Street who would welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter, or alternatively, contact our Customer Care team on 0845 0708090.

“Regular date-checks of medicines are carried out in all of our pharmacies. These procedures are being reviewed within this particular store as a result of this incident.”

Acomb GP Dr Brian McGregor said that in this case it was unlikely the drugs would have had a detrimental effect on the patient.

“Things have a use-by date for a reason,” he said. “It would be unlikely to have any adverse effect. It may not be as effective, but it wouldn’t have harmed him as such.”

He added: “Boots should have robust systems in place to check the dates of medicines being handed out.”

The General Pharmaceutical Council confirmed it had opened an investigation.