Courts

Doctor censured over prescribing morphine for herself

Pharmacist complained about GP, who cannot be identified, to the Medical Council

The woman has made a good recovery and is continuing to work under supervision, the court heard Photograph: Lynne Cameron/PA Wire

Fri Feb 16 2024 - 17:54

A doctor who prescribed morphine for herself over several months has been censured and conditions attached to her continued work in the profession following a High Court hearing.

The doctor’s name, or anything that might identify her, cannot be published by order of the court as she is a person with a relevant medical condition such that identification would be likely to cause undue stress.

She was found guilty of misconduct, following an inquiry set up by the Medical Council, by requisitioning 33 ampules of morphine between April and October 2021 for her own benefit and of prescribing another 99 ampules, also for herself, in the names of patients.

The court heard a pharmacist made a complaint about her to the Medical Council and at around the same time, she was attending her own GP when she admitted what she was doing. Ultimately, she reported herself to the Medical Council.

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Since then, she had made a very good recovery and was continuing to work under supervision, the court was also told.

On Friday, the President of the High Court, Mr Justice David Barniville said he was happy to accept a recommendation from the Medical Council that the doctor be censured with conditions attached to her registration.

These include that she works under the supervision and not to prescribe for herself and not use controlled drugs other than those prescribed by another doctor.

The judge also agreed to a request from Nathan Reilly BL, for the doctor, to make no order for costs given her “exceptional cooperation” which he said was not always what happened in such cases.

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