Reprimanded over S8 record failings

SYDNEY-BASED pharmacist, Hung Kim Tran, must undergo mentoring for a minimum period of 12 months after being reprimanded in relation to failing to ensure his pharmacy’s drug register accurately recorded dates that Schedule 8 medicines were dispensed to a patient who subsequently overdosed using them.

A NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal heard that Tran became a co-owner of Blooms the Chemist Edgecliff in Sep 2015.

As the only proprietor who regularly worked in the pharmacy, Tran was responsible for day-to-day activities.

The Tribunal heard that when Tran bought into the pharmacy, Patient A was a “longstanding customer”, who was being treated for chronic pain issues, having suffered spinal issues from a young age.

In Oct 2017 Patient A was admitted to St Vincent’s Hospital as a result of a prescription medicine overdose.

Police seized large amounts of medications from the patient’s home, including morphine for injection, fentanyl patches and oxycodone capsules.

The Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) commenced disciplinary action against Tran on the grounds that large quantities of drugs of addiction were dispensed to Patient A over a two-year period without adequate intervention by Tran or pharmacists in his employ.

Following the patient’s hospital admission, the NSW Ministry of Health Pharmaceutical Regulatory Unit (PRU) conducted a quantitative analysis of the dispensing records for Patient A at the pharmacy, which revealed 2,300 morphine 30mg ampoules had been dispensed between 01 Jul 2016 and 25 Oct 2017, and 160 fentanyl 100mcg patches were also given to the woman between 19 Dec 2016 and 13 Oct 2017.

Tran admitted he had failed to ensure the drug register was kept up to date and that there were inventory issues at the store, conceding that prescriptions dispensed were not appropriate emergency supplies.

The Tribunal noted that Tran presented as “genuniely remorseful and did not seek to avoid responsibility”.

Tran told the Tribunal he had completed the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s Ethics and Dispensing in Pharmacy Practice course and wanted to share his learning so his staff would not go through what he has.

The Tribunal reprimanded Tran and ordered him to nominate a registered experienced practitioner who is not associated with Blooms the Chemist to act as a professional mentor for at least 12 months.