Pharmacy Technician Suspended for Six Months After Stealing Codeine and Falsifying Patient Records
Date of Decision: April 7, 2021
Registrant's Role: Pharmacy technician
Allegations:
- Between January 2017 and June 2018, the pharmacy technician removed codeine phosphate tablets from the hospital pharmacy for personal use.
- To facilitate this, she created false patient records, showing that codeine had been dispensed to patients when it had not.
- The pharmacy technician acted dishonestly, knowing that:
- She did not have authority to remove the codeine.
- The records were falsified to cover up her actions.
Outcome: A six-month suspension was imposed
GPhC Standards Breached:
- Standard 6 – Behave in a Professional Manner
- Standard 8 – Speak Up When Things Go Wrong
- Standard 9 – Demonstrate Leadership
Case Summary
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) Fitness to Practise Committee investigated a pharmacy technician after she was found to have stolen codeine phosphate tablets from the hospital pharmacy and falsified patient records to hide the theft.
Between January 2017 and June 2018, the pharmacy technician:
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- Full allegations considered by the GPhC/PSNI
- Panel findings and reasoning
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- Sanctions considered and imposed on the Pharmacy technician
- Key professional learning points
Original Case Document
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