Western Australian pharmacist disqualified from practice

05 Dec 2022

Former Derby pharmacist Adam Chinotti found to have committed professional misconduct

This report contains direct discussion of suicide and self-harm. If you think this might cause you distress, then you may choose not to read this alert.

Western Australian pharmacist Adam Chinotti has been disqualified from applying for registration for three years after a tribunal found he had committed professional misconduct.

The State Administrative Tribunal of Western Australia (the tribunal) decision comes after it found Mr Chinotti supplied 60 diazepam tablets (a schedule 4 poison) to a man for cash at Cable Beach the day before the man died by suicide in 2020.

The tribunal agreed with the Pharmacy Board of Australia (the Board) that Mr Chinotti’s conduct amounted to professional misconduct, reprimanding him, and ordering that he cannot apply for registration until after  23 November 2025.

‘Disqualification from applying for registration is a severe measure to protect the public, and this is an outcome that underlines the grave nature of the conduct involved in these tragic circumstances,' Board Chair Brett Simmonds said.

‘The National Law governing Australia’s health practitioners exists to uphold public safety, not impose punishments. But it is important to note that even when a period of disqualification ends practitioners cannot automatically return to their profession.

‘In this case, If Mr Chinotti wanted to return to pharmacy he would need to reapply and prove that he meets the high standards of the profession, bearing in mind he will not have practised since February 2021.’

Mr Chinotti’s registration was first suspended in February 2021 as the result of immediate action by the Board to protect the public while related criminal matters were concluded.

In its decision last week the tribunal was satisfied Mr Chinotti’s behaviour in unlawfully supplying a schedule 4 poison for cash constituted professional misconduct, ordering:

• Mr Chinotti is reprimanded under the National Law.
• He is disqualified from applying for registration for a period of three years.
• An $8000 contribution be paid towards the Board’s legal costs.

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