Perth pharmacist disqualified for 18 months for dispensing medications to herself and others without prescriptions

11 Jan 2024

A Perth pharmacist has had her registration cancelled and has been disqualified from re-applying for 18 months for dispensing medications to herself and others without valid prescriptions over a six-month period.

On 21 May 2021, the Pharmacy Board of Australia (the Board) took immediate action and accepted an undertaking from Ms Lauren Murray not to practise following two notifications that alleged she had dispensed various Schedule 4 medications on multiple occasions to herself and others without valid prescriptions between November 2020 and April 2021.

The matter was referred to the Western Australian State Administrative Tribunal (the Tribunal) on 27 June last year where the Board and Ms Murray agreed the terms on which the matter could be resolved.

Ms Murray agreed that:

• Between November 2020 and April 2021, she inappropriately dispensed Schedule 4 medications (including codeine & paracetamol, diazepam, and lorazepam) to herself without lawful authority and, on five occasions, deleted the record of her having dispensed the medications.
• Between February 2021 and March 2021, she inappropriately dispensed Schedule 4 medications (including codeine & paracetamol and diazepam) to four patients without a legal prescription, at least three of with whom she was in a close personal relationship.
• On 15 April 2021, she took two bottles and four boxes of diazepam from a dispensary shelf and left the pharmacy without paying or recording that the items had been dispensed.
• Also on 15 April 2021, she inappropriately refunded to her personal bank card 21 boxes of codeine & paracetamol and diazepam that she had dispensed to herself over a three-month period, without returning the medication to the pharmacy.
• As a result of her conduct, she unlawfully possessed Schedule 4 medicines.

Ms Murray worked on a casual basis at three West Australian pharmacies; the Priceline Pharmacy at Lakelands, Optimal Pharmacy Plus at Meadow Springs, and the Bridge 7 Day Pharmacy in Mandurah, when the misconduct took place.

On 21 December 2023, the Tribunal found that Ms Murray had behaved in a way that constituted professional misconduct. The Tribunal reprimanded her, cancelled her registration as a pharmacist and disqualified her from re-applying for registration for 18 months. She was also ordered to pay $3,500 towards the Board’s costs.

The Tribunal accepted that Ms Murray engaged in the conduct at a time when she had health issues and that she sought to self-prescribe with medications over and above those that had been prescribed to her. The Tribunal also accepted that she had demonstrated insight and remorse for her conduct, and that her health has now improved.

If Ms Murray chooses to seek re-registration, she will have to satisfy the Board that she is a fit and proper person to hold registration in the profession.

Read the Tribunal’s full decision on the eCourts website.