Date of Decision: October 13, 2021
Allegations: The pharmacist was convicted at Birmingham Crown Court on 9 February 2021 of:
Supplying Diazepam (Class C) between 1 February 2016 and 9 August 2017
Supplying Nitrazepam (Class C) between 1 February 2016 and 9 August 2017
Supplying Tramadol (Class C) between 1 February 2016 and 9 August 2017
Supplying Zolpidem (Class C) between 1 February 2016 and 9 August 2017
Supplying Zopiclone (Class C) between 1 February 2016 and 9 August 2017
The pharmacist was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment on 2 March 2021 for his role in diverting over 29,000 packs of controlled drugs from the legal supply chain.
The estimated black-market value of these drugs was over £1 million.
He was accused of impersonating another pharmacist (Pharmacist A) in correspondence with the regulator to cover up the illegal supply.
When first confronted, he claimed he was under duress from a criminal gang but later admitted to financially benefiting from the illegal supply chain, receiving an estimated £60,000 in illicit payments.
The drugs were supplied without prescriptions, raising serious risks of misuse and addiction.
Outcome: Removal from the GPhC register
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Date of Decision: June 10, 2021
Allegations: The pharmacist falsely declared on an online locum booking system (Venloc) on 21 August 2018 that she was accredited to conduct:
Medicines Use Reviews (MURs)
New Medicine Services (NMS)
In October 2018, while working for Lloyds Pharmacy, she:
Informed a colleague she could not perform MURs due to lack of accreditation.
Was confronted by the area manager, during which she falsely claimed to have completed accreditation on 11 October 2018.
Emailed Venloc later that day, stating she had mistakenly selected “yes” regarding accreditation, but this was also found to be untrue.
The pharmacist later admitted dishonesty, explaining she panicked and lied when confronted.
Outcome: A formal warning was issued
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Date of Decision: January 25, 2021
Allegations: The pharmacist was removed from the GPhC register on 27 May 2014 following findings of:
Multiple serious dispensing errors between April 2012 and November 2012, including:
Supplying Clonazepam instead of Dexamethasone.
Dispensing incorrect inhalers to two different patients.
Incorrectly labelling and relabelling prescriptions, leading to confusion.
Three counts of fraud by abuse of position, including:
Falsely stamping and submitting NHS prescriptions for payment, fraudulently claiming they had been dispensed.
Altering prescriptions to increase drug quantities for higher reimbursement.
Changing patients’ exemption statuses to claim refunds fraudulently.
The fraud totalled £32,000, which he repaid.
He was sentenced to eight months' imprisonment, later reduced to a suspended sentence.
Outcome: Application for restoration was rejected
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Date of Decision: November 24, 2022
Allegations: The pharmacist was convicted at Wiltshire Magistrates’ Court on 14 April 2021 for:
Forgery—creating a false prescription for a large quantity of codeine.
Presenting the forged prescription to a colleague at Boots pharmacy.
The forged prescription:
Used a former university acquaintance’s prescriber details without their knowledge.
Was for 2000ml of codeine oral solution, an opioid known for its high risk of misuse and addiction.
Contained errors (missing patient DOB) that the pharmacist hoped would be noticed, preventing the supply.
The GPhC accepted that the pharmacist was allegedly threatened into writing the prescription by an unknown male who had approached him outside his home.
The pharmacist did not report the threats to police or his employer, instead choosing to write the false prescription in an attempt to resolve the situation.
Boots staff became suspicious, contacted the listed prescriber (who denied issuing it), and reported the pharmacist to the police.
Outcome: Suspension for 4 months
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Date of Decision: June 1, 2022
Allegations: The pharmacist was convicted of two counts of fraud under the Fraud Act 2006 and possession of a Class A controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
Fraud Allegations:
He lied on job applications by falsely stating that he had no pending investigations or disciplinary action.
He submitted a fraudulent reference from a former employer to obtain a position at St Albans City Hospital.
As a result of his dishonest employment practices, he earned £9,000 fraudulently.
Drug Possession Allegations:
While working as a Responsible Pharmacist at Day Lewis Pharmacy, he was caught with fentanyl patches concealed in his trousers during a spot check.
He initially claimed they belonged to a relative, but a police investigation found no medical history supporting this claim.
He refused a police caution and later pleaded guilty before trial.
Sentencing:
The pharmacist was sentenced to 9 months' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months for each of the fraud and drug offences.
He was also ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work and pay a £1,000 fine towards prosecution costs.
Outcome: Removal from the GPhC register
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Date of Decision: February 9, 2022
Allegations: The pharmacist was convicted at Birmingham Crown Court on 20 January 2020 for:
Supplying Class C controlled drugs without proper authorisation between July 2015 and September 2016.
Possessing Class C controlled drugs with intent to supply.
He operated three community pharmacies in Birmingham, one of which had a Wholesale Dealer’s Authorisation (WDA) but did not have a Home Office Controlled Drugs Licence.
The MHRA identified large-scale illegal supply of controlled drugs, leading to an investigation.
On 13 September 2016, an unannounced MHRA inspection found significant quantities of unaccounted-for controlled drugs at one of his pharmacies.
Between 2015 and 2016, he unlawfully diverted over 1.4 million tablets of controlled drugs, including:
588,000 Zopiclone tablets
337,000 Diazepam tablets
238,000 Nitrazepam tablets
27,000 Zolpidem tablets
The estimated street value of these drugs was between £854,000 and £1.4 million.
The pharmacist lied to investigators, concealed the financial gains, and refused to disclose the buyers.
He was sentenced to 28 months' imprisonment and later released on licence.
Outcome: Suspension for 12 months
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Date of Decision: February 3, 2022
Allegations: The pharmacist was convicted of three counts of fraud, defrauding over £500,000 from an individual (Person A) and a business (Company A).
He fabricated an investment opportunity in a US pharmacy, falsely claiming he needed funds due to his business being seized by the US government.
He lied about having testicular cancer to obtain financial assistance from a church member for supposed medical treatment.
He submitted fraudulent invoices for a pharmaceutical warehouse project, pocketing funds meant for construction and licensing fees.
The fraud was described in court as sophisticated and prolonged, spanning over 10 months, with multiple layers of deception.
Outcome: Removal from the GPhC register
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Date of Decision: May 9, 2022
Allegations: The pharmacist prescribed medications inappropriately, including for animals, despite not being a veterinary prescriber.
Issued unlawful prescriptions that lacked appropriate authority.
Failed to carry out adequate checks on patient suitability, medication appropriateness, or follow-up monitoring.
Acted outside the scope of his competency, issuing high-risk prescriptions for conditions requiring specialist knowledge.
Prescribed large quantities of controlled and high-risk drugs without necessary clinical oversight or review.
Was found to have participated in an online prescribing model that failed to meet regulatory safety standards.
Outcome: Suspension for four months
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Date of Decision: January 20, 2022
Allegations: While working as an Independent Prescriber (PIP) at Instant E-Care Ltd, the pharmacist:
Prescribed excessive quantities of opioids and Z-drugs to patients without adequate clinical checks.
Did not communicate with patients’ GPs, even when given consent, before prescribing high-risk medications.
Prescribed outside the scope of practice, issuing medication for chronic pain, hormonal conditions, and mental health disorders despite limited relevant training.
Allowed patients to pre-select medications and dosages through an online system without conducting meaningful consultations.
Failed to identify and address red flags in patient histories, issuing multiple prescriptions against current medical guidelines.
A journalist from The Times obtained 200 dihydrocodeine tablets and an additional 28 tablets within two days, highlighting loopholes in the pharmacy's opioid policy.
The GPhC investigation found no evidence of safe prescribing processes, and an expert witness deemed the prescribing "excessive" and "potentially dangerous."
Outcome: A 9-month suspension was imposed
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Date of Decision: July 5, 2022
Allegations: The pharmacy technician was subject to a Conditions of Practice Order from July 2019, following a Principal Hearing in 2018 where her fitness to practise was found to be impaired due to misconduct and deficient professional performance.
In June or July 2020, she applied for a job at Bromley GP Alliance and:
Failed to disclose her ongoing fitness to practise proceedings.
Misrepresented the extent of restrictions on her practice, only stating that she could not work as a locum or relief technician.
In October 2020, she submitted a DBS self-declaration form where she:
Answered "no" when asked if she was subject to fitness to practise restrictions, despite being under a Conditions of Practice Order.
Failed to answer a question about past investigations, and later falsely claimed the answer was “no” when prompted.
During a GPhC Review Hearing on 14 December 2020, she:
Falsely stated that her employer knew about her conditions of practice, when in reality, she had not informed them.
Misrepresented her role at Bromley, stating that she did not take medication histories, when her job description included this responsibility.
In February 2021, her employer discovered the dishonesty, and she was dismissed following an internal disciplinary hearing.
Outcome: Removal from the GPhC register.
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