Your guide to Pharmacy Law and Ethics
This archive contains General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) Fitness to Practise (FtP) case summaries, detailing regulatory decisions affecting pharmacy professionals in the UK.
Each case provides insight into professional misconduct, errors, and ethical breaches that led to sanctions such as suspension, removal, or warnings. These summaries are valuable for:
The decisions in these cases shape the legal and ethical landscape of pharmacy practice. Staying informed can help pharmacy professionals avoid similar mistakes and maintain high professional standards.
Date of Decision: April 25, 2023
Allegations: The registrant received a police caution for theft by employee, having removed household goods and toiletries from her employer, Wards Chemist Limited, without payment between April 2020 and November 2020.
Outcome: Suspension for 6 months
Date of Decision: November 25, 2022
Allegations: On 27 May 2021, convicted at Birmingham Magistrates Court of dishonestly making false representation to make gain for self/another or cause loss to other/expose other to risk.
Outcome: Suspension 12 months
Date of Decision: November 25, 2022
Allegations: The registrant was convicted of making a false instrument, namely a prescription for a large quantity of codeine, with the intention to induce a colleague to accept it as genuine, contrary to Section 1 of the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981.
Outcome: Suspension (4 months)
Date of Decision: January 12, 2023
Allegations: Completed a date check matrix dishonestly indicating medication checks were done. Failed to investigate a dispensing error in accordance with SOP. Failed to regularly undertake date checks of medication. Failed to ensure staff read and understood SOPs. Dishonestly submitted an electronic declaration that staff read SOP updates.
Outcome: Suspension, 1 month
Date of Decision: February 2, 2023
Allegations: Theft of items of clothing on six occasions from Tesco in 2019, and dishonesty.
Outcome: 3 month Suspension
Date of Decision: February 23, 2023
Allegations: The registrant was convicted of possessing and supplying controlled drugs without a valid Home Office license, involving approximately 1,443,000 tablets of Diazepam, Nitrazepam, Zopiclone, and Zolpidem, and was sentenced to 28 months imprisonment.
Outcome: Suspension (12 months) with review
Date of Decision: March 9, 2023
Allegations: Impairment of fitness to practise through misconduct and a conviction. Possession of a Class B drug (Cannabis) and failure to notify the Council of the conviction. Failure to complete a 'Something to Declare' form to inform the Council of a conviction.
Outcome: Suspension (12 months with review)
Date of Decision: March 21, 2023
Allegations: Supplying a controlled drug (Diazepam) of Class C without a Home Office Controlled Drugs Licence between 2 January 2014 and 20 April 2016. Supplying a controlled drug (Zopiclone) of Class C without a Home Office Controlled Drugs Licence between 8 January 2014 and 20 April 2016. Supplying a controlled drug (Zolpidem) of Class C without a Home Office Controlled Drugs Licence between 5 February 2014 and 20 April 2016. Supplying a controlled drug (Nitrazepam) of Class C without a Home Office Controlled Drugs Licence between 21 May 2014 and 20 April 2016.
Outcome: 12 Month Suspension
Date of Decision: March 27, 2023
Allegations: Sold and/or supervised the sale of large volumes of codeine linctus without having controls in place to monitor purchases, sales to customers, identify sales to repeat customers, or identify potential for patient misuse or addiction. Supplied codeine linctus to between 4 or 5 people up to 3 to 4 times a week without sufficient clinical justification. Did so knowingly and/or suspecting that the people were abusing or overusing a habit-forming medicine.
Outcome: Suspension, 4 Months
Date of Decision: April 6, 2023
Allegations: Failure to ensure robust procedures for verifying patient identity and preventing inappropriate supplies. Failure to ensure medicines supplied were appropriate and safe. Failure to identify and manage risks involved with pharmacy services. Failure to ensure services were covered by appropriate indemnity insurance.
Outcome: Suspension for 9 months