Manslaughter charges for medication error?

A jury in Britain has returned an inquest verdict of "manslaughter by gross neglect" on a woman killed by a chemotherapy dose four times too high.

Anna McKenna, 56, from Bristol, was being treated for multiple myeloma in 2006 when her doctor, Dr Jacqueline James, four times the correct drug doses over four sessions.

Mrs McKenna died four weeks later on 18 April 2006, some three weeks after her first chemotherapy session when she developed complications, including fever and renal failure.

According the the family spokeswoman: "The family of Mrs McKenna have been absolutely devastated by her sudden and unnecessary death.

"They feel extremely angry, not only that such a serious mistake was made in her prescription, but also that this was not found by the pharmacist who was supposed to act as a safety net for the patient."

The pharmacist who should have double-checked the dose was never identified.

The paperwork relating to Mrs McKenna's prescription had disappeared. (emphasis mine)

Dr James told the hearing she was "very sorry" for the error before the mother-of-five's death.

A previous Avon and Somerset police investigation could not identify the pharmacist, and no charges were brought.

An inquest is an investigation, usually by a group of court-appointed people generally in England and Wales. They are most common when the cause of a death that was suspicious, sudden or violent.

In an inquest witnesses are called but suspects are not allowed to defend themselves. If there is a verdict such as murder criminal prosecution may follow.

According to the BBC, while a manslaughter verdict was returned, criminal proceedings are unlikely.

What do you think? Should criminal charges be filed? Should the doctor be charged with manslaughter? And where is the pharmacist?