Pharmacy owner and worker who illegally supplied drugs fined

TWO pharmacy staff have been fined and given community service after being convicted of the illegal supply of prescription medicines.

Gerard Maginn, the company director and owner of Clanua Ltd trading as Harts Pharmacy, in Main Street, Newcastle, was sentenced to 100 hours community service and fines totalling £25,000.

Maginn (63), of Carnreagh Road, Drumaroad, Castlewellan, previously pleaded guilty to 18 charges in relation to the unlawful supply of prescription-only medicines from his pharmacy.

Gordon Thomson, the pharmacy technician and company secretary, received 80 hours community service and was fined £1,000.

Thomson (33), of Castlewellan Road, Newcastle, also pleaded guilty to 18 charges in relation to the unlawful supply of prescription-only medicines from the pharmacy in which he worked.

The court heard that the Department of Health’s Medicines Regulatory Group enforcement officers visited Harts Pharmacy in March 2017.

Following an audit and inspection process it was established that the pharmacy had supplied a significant range of prescription medicines in the absence of a qualified registered pharmacist on March 24, 2017 between 9am and 6pm.

The medicines unlawfully supplied included warfarin, pregabalin, a range of antibiotics and methadone.

Peter Moore, senior medicines enforcement officer with the Department of Health, conducted the investigation.

He said: “When entering a pharmacy the public should have reasonable expectation that their prescription needs will be met by a qualified professional.

“Pharmacists are there not only to dispense medicines but to advise or assist patients in the use of these medicines and most importantly to ensure the safe and effective running of the pharmacy.”

He added: “Unfortunately this did not happen in this case and members of the public could have been endangered as a result.”

The matter will now be referred to the regulatory body the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland.