Pharmacy Technician Removed Following Dishonest Falsification of Records and Controlled Drug Theft

Date of Decision: December 18, 2024

Registrant's Role: Pharmacy technician

Allegations:

Dishonestly falsified patient medication records and stole controlled drugs (dihydrocodeine tablets) from the pharmacy.

Outcome: Removal from the register, with an interim suspension order.

GPhC Standards Breached:

Standard 6: Be honest and trustworthy.
Standard 8: Provide safe and effective care.
Standard 9: Demonstrate leadership and set a good example.

Case Summary

The GPhC Fitness to Practise Committee reviewed the case of a pharmacy technician, referred to here as “the registrant,” who was found guilty of multiple acts of dishonesty. These included falsifying patient medication records and stealing controlled drugs from the pharmacy.

Case Background

On several occasions between April and July 2023, the registrant engaged in dishonest conduct:

Falsified Patient Records:
- On April 26, 2023, the registrant used a colleague’s login details without permission to falsify medication records for two patients, falsely indicating that dihydrocodeine had been prescribed.
Unauthorized Requests for Controlled Drugs:
- Between April 18 and 21, 2023, the registrant submitted requests for controlled drugs to hospital wards without legitimate clinical need.
Theft of Dihydrocodeine Tablets:
- The registrant removed 112 dihydrocodeine tablets from the pharmacy and later received a police caution for theft on July 14, 2023.

When questioned, the registrant initially denied the allegations but later admitted to taking the medication. However, he failed to return the tablets in their original packaging, further demonstrating his lack of regard for professional standards.

Fitness to Practise Findings

The Committee found that the registrant’s actions:

Demonstrated Dishonesty: Falsifying patient records and stealing controlled drugs are severe breaches of professional trust and integrity.
Compromised Patient Safety: Tampering with medication records poses significant risks to patients and undermines public confidence in the pharmacy profession.
Lacked Accountability: The registrant initially attempted to mislead colleagues and failed to demonstrate adequate insight or remediation.

The Committee concluded that the registrant’s fitness to practise was impaired and that his removal from the register was necessary to maintain public confidence and uphold professional standards. An interim suspension order was also imposed pending the finalization of the removal.

Key Learning Points for Pharmacy Professionals

Honesty is Critical: Dishonesty in record-keeping or theft of medications severely undermines the trust placed in pharmacy professionals.
Adherence to Security Protocols: Using another colleague’s credentials without authorization breaches trust and compromises workplace security.
Impact of Misconduct: Actions that jeopardize patient safety or disrupt pharmacy operations carry severe professional consequences.
Remediation and Insight: Demonstrating genuine remorse and taking steps to remediate misconduct can influence regulatory outcomes but must be substantial and proactive.

Original Case Document

The full determination transcript is available to logged in users.