Pharmacist’s Suspension Ends After Sexual Harassment Misconduct and Intensive Remediation

Allegations

This case centred on serious professional misconduct by the registrant, a pharmacist, while employed at Buchans Chemist in Birmingham. The allegations related to a series of inappropriate and sexually motivated behaviours towards a female colleague (“Colleague A”) during and after their shared shifts. These included sending an unsolicited message via WhatsApp stating, “Don’t sit next to me…u turning me on,” and physically squeezing her buttock. The panel found these actions were sexual in nature and motivated by a desire for sexual gratification or a future sexual relationship.

Following Colleague A’s return to work after the incident, the registrant shouted at her with phrases such as, “what the fuck are you talking about all this time,” and, “ring him back, I’ll give him your fucking number – you can go out with him.” He further humiliated her by suggesting in front of patients that one of them was her boyfriend and confronted her about her complaints to management. These actions were found to constitute harassment, intimidation, and retaliatory behaviour for her having reported the misconduct.