Qld pharmacist banned

REGISTERED pharmacist Adam Christie has been reprimanded and disqualified from reapplying for registration for what constitutes professional misconduct, associated with drug stealing and possessing.

The Pharmacy Board of Australia referred Christie to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal on 26 Oct 2015, following a complaint about the pharmacist’s behaviour from his employer in mid-2013.

The alleged professional misconduct related to the acquisition of various controlled, restricted and addictive drugs on a number of occasions.

Christie’s employer found drugs in his vehicle and notified the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

It was also alleged he obtained medications through deceit from the pharmacy where he was employed, and covered this up in a number of ways, including the creation of fictitious transactions to explain their disappearance.

As soon as he was found out, Christie ‘self-reported’ to AHPRA.

Mitigating factors included his prompt self-notification and cooperation with the Board, voluntarily undertaking a treatment program, the fact the conduct did not directly affect any patient of the pharmacy, and his retraining for a new profession “so as to remove himself from situations which give rise to a relapse”.

However the tribunal disqualified him from registration for three years from the date of the order, and he was also ordered to pay the Board’s costs of $12,000.

A non-publication order was sought by Christie in respect to the proceedings on the basis this might jeopardise his new career, but this was declined by the tribunal.

Although the case was heard in late 2016, details were only published on the Pharmacy Board of Australia website yesterday, with the full judgement at sclqld.org.au.