Well Pharmacist Removed for Repeated Dispensing of Controlled Drugs Without Prescriptions

Allegations

This case involved a pharmacist who, over several months between March and October 2020, dispensed controlled drugs (CDs) to three patients—Patients A, B, and C—without the requisite prescriptions. The pharmacist was the responsible pharmacist and Branch Manager at the time. Medications dispensed without prescriptions included high-risk substances such as Buprenorphine, Pregabalin, Transtec patches, Diazepam, Espranor, and Nitrazepam. These are all controlled substances with a significant potential for abuse and serious patient harm.

Allegations also included unsafe practices such as self-checking of CDs—a deviation from standard operating procedures (SOPs)—and instructing or permitting dispensers to supply these CDs to patients without pharmacist oversight. Furthermore, the registrant failed to report the incidents on her employer’s internal DATIX system despite being asked to do so, although she did upload incident forms to the Local Health Board’s reporting system.