Pharmacist Removed from Register Following Convictions for Fraud and Possession of Class A Controlled Drugs

Date of Decision: June 1, 2022

Registrant's Role: Pharmacist

Allegations:

Convicted of two counts of fraud and possession of a Class A controlled drug

Outcome: Removal from the register and interim suspension

GPhC Standards Breached:

Standard 6 – Behave in a professional manner
Standard 9 – Demonstrate leadership

Case Summary

A GPhC Fitness to Practise principal hearing was conducted on 1 June 2022 to assess the fitness to practise of a pharmacist convicted of two counts of fraud and possession of a Class A controlled drug. The pharmacist was not present at the hearing and was not legally represented.

Key Issues

The pharmacist was convicted of:

Fraud (contrary to Section 1 of the Fraud Act 2006) – The registrant falsely obtained employment by providing fraudulent references and making false declarations to recruitment agencies.
Possession of a Controlled Drug (contrary to Section 5(2) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971) – The registrant was found with Fentanyl patches while working as a Responsible Pharmacist at a Day Lewis pharmacy.

The GPhC Fitness to Practise Committee considered the following:

The pharmacist’s possession of a Class A controlled drug without a prescription.
The fraudulent misrepresentation used to gain employment, which included forging references and concealing prior disciplinary actions.
The registrant’s failure to provide any evidence of remorse, remediation, or engagement with regulatory proceedings.

Findings and Decision

The Committee determined that:

The registrant had engaged in serious dishonesty, which undermined public trust in the pharmacy profession.
There was a risk of repetition, as no evidence of insight or remediation was presented.
The pharmacist’s integrity could no longer be relied upon to uphold professional standards.

The Committee ordered removal from the register, concluding that no lesser sanction would be appropriate given the seriousness of the misconduct.

Interim Measures

An interim suspension was imposed during the appeal period to prevent the registrant from practising while the decision was finalised.

Learning Points for Pharmacists

Fraudulent behaviour, including falsifying references, can lead to permanent removal from the pharmacy register.
Possession of controlled drugs outside the proper legal framework is a serious offence that jeopardises patient safety and public trust.
Engagement with regulatory proceedings is crucial – failure to provide evidence of insight or remediation may strengthen the case for removal.
Integrity and honesty are fundamental to professional practice – deliberate deception in employment processes is incompatible with pharmacy standards.

Original Case Document

The full determination transcript is available to logged in users.