Tribunal suspends pharmacist’s registration, orders ethics and dispensing education

11 Sep 2018

A tribunal suspended a pharmacist’s registration for two months and ordered him to undertake education in ethics and dispensing, after he was found to have engaged in professional misconduct.

The State Administrative Tribunal of Western Australia (the tribunal) heard that between September and October 2016, Mr Tse dispensed fentanyl patches to a patient without a valid prescription or verbal authority from a medical practitioner, did not make any record of dispensing fentanyl patches to the patient, and altered the dates of several of the patient’s fentanyl prescriptions to reconcile the supply of patches for which he did not have a valid prescription.

Mr Tse admitted he had engaged in professional misconduct, including his failure to make contact with a medical practitioner when he was aware the prescribing doctor was away on holidays.

With no prior history of misconduct, Mr Tse was remorseful and cooperated early with the Pharmacy Board of Australia and the WA Department of Health in the investigation.

The tribunal ordered Mr Tse to complete a program of education in relation to ethics and dispensing in pharmacy practice, the Board’s Code of Professional Conduct for Pharmacists and the Guidelines for dispensing medicines.

Part of Mr Tse’s conditions was for him to be mentored by another registered pharmacist every month over six months. Mr Tse also paid a contribution of $1,500 to the Pharmacy Board of Australia’s costs.

The decision is published on the tribunal’s website.