A Motueka pharmacist who stole prescription drugs from his former employer, including erectile dysfunction medication and the morning-after pill, has had his registration cancelled.
Leslie Allan Campbell admitted four charges of theft in a special relationship when he appeared before the Nelson District Court last June.
The qualified pharmacist was fined $1600 and ordered to pay reparations and court costs.
The Pharmacy Council's professional conduct committee then brought disciplinary charges before the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal, which met in Wellington yesterday to determine Campbell's future in the profession.
The tribunal was told another pharmacist had raised concerns about Campbell's work behaviour with the owners of Amcal Pharmacy in Motueka, where Campbell had worked since November 2013.
The owners then hired a private investigator and arranged for two hidden cameras to be installed where prescription drugs and medicines were stored.
The conduct committee alleged that on four separate occasions, the cameras recorded Campbell taking prescription drugs on days where no prescriptions were recorded for the drugs he was taking.
Campbell was also found to have made manual stock adjustments on the pharmacy's computer to account for the drugs he had taken.
Among the prescription drugs stolen were hay fever, anxiety, sleeping and erectile dysfunction medicines. He also stole the morning-after pill.
The total value of the drugs taken was $127.31.
Campbell's lawyer Douglas Brown said until the incidents, Campbell had an "unblemished career".
He said his client took the drugs for himself. Campbell claimed to have taken the morning-after pill for a relative.
"The offending was not done for financial gain, but was for the most part by way of self-medicating," he said.
Mr Brown said Campbell recognised his actions were unacceptable and asked that his registration be suspended, not cancelled.
The conduct committee told the tribunal that given the seriousness of Campbell's offending, cancelling his registration was "reasonable and appropriate".
It said Campbell's behaviour showed "a clear departure from professional and ethical standards".
"The nature and gravity of Mr Campbell's conduct justifies a finding that the convictions reflect adversely on his fitness to practice."
The tribunal agreed, and cancelled Campbell's registration. He was also censured and ordered to pay 30 per cent of the conduct committee's costs.
Former owner of the Motueka Amcal Pharmacy, Mike McGrath, said he was pleased the matter had been dealt with.
He said Campbell was immediately dismissed from his job following the charges, and no patients were put in jeopardy as a result of his misconduct.
Mr Brown said Campbell did not wish to make any comment.
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The four charges against Leslie Campbell:
- On December 29, 2013, camera footage showed Campbell making manual adjustments to stock records, after he took anxiety medication, sleeping pills and abdominal pain medication from the shelves at a value of $38.12. He took them from the pharmacy in a brown paper bag.
- On January 26, 2014, camera footage showed Campbell remove a bottle of anxiety medication from a shelf and pour some of its contents into a bottle, which he pocketed. He was also caught removing a container of emergency contraceptive pills from the shelves. The value of the items was $10.85
- On February 2, 2014, camera footage showed Campbell removing two boxes of medication for abdominal pain and two boxes of sleeping pills from shelves. He later made manual adjustments to stock records. He then took a box of anxiety medication. The total value of the items was $18.34
- On February 16, 2014, camera footage showed Campbell removing a box of hay fever medication from a drawer. He later took medication for erectile dysfunction. Both items were placed in a paper bag and he was seen leaving with it later in the day. The total value of the items was $60.
By Nikki Papatsoumas of NZME. News Service
