Pharmacist Suspended for Drug Possession, Dishonesty, and Misuse of Professional Position
Date of Decision: February 20, 2019
Registrant's Role: Pharmacist
Allegations:
- Conviction for possession of cannabis, diazepam, and alprazolam
- Possession of unlabelled prescription-only medications (Letrozole, Bendroflumethiazide, Zomorph, Aciclovir) without prescriptions
- Dishonestly removing medicines from a pharmacy without permission or payment
- Reckless consumption of cocaine and MDMA
- Smoking cannabis on multiple occasions
Outcome: 12-month suspension with review; interim suspension order continued until substantive order takes effect
GPhC Standards Breached:
- Standard 6.1 – Act with honesty and integrity to maintain public trust and confidence in your profession
- Standard 6.2 – Not abuse your professional position or exploit the vulnerability or lack of knowledge of others
- Standard 6.5 – Meet accepted standards of personal and professional conduct
- Standard 6.6 – Comply with legal and professional requirements and accepted guidance on professional practice
- 2017 Standard 6 – Pharmacy professionals must behave in a professional manner
Case Summary
Allegations
The registrant faced a series of allegations including possession of controlled drugs (cannabis, diazepam, alprazolam), unlabelled prescription-only medications without prescriptions (Letrozole, Bendroflumethiazide, Zomorph, Aciclovir), dishonest removal of these medications from a pharmacy, and drug misuse, including reckless ingestion of cocaine and MDMA, and smoking cannabis.
The registrant admitted to several allegations but contested others. He initially claimed he had obtained the medications under a private prescription and had paid for them, but later retracted this, instead asserting they were given to him for disposal. The panel rejected this revised account as lacking credibility and inconsistent with earlier statements.
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- Full allegations considered by the GPhC
- Panel findings and reasoning
- Outcome of the investigation
- Sanctions considered and imposed on the Pharmacist
- Key professional learning points
Original Case Document
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The original determination transcript is available to registered users.
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- Full hearing transcript
- Detailed findings of fact
- Sanction reasoning
- Details of the pharmacy professionals involved