A young doctor has admitted to forging prescriptions for weight-loss drugs to help keep her awake during long working hours.
The doctor appeared in the Auckland District Court last week and pleaded guilty to two fraud charges after she wrote prescriptions for the drugs over an 18-month period, The New Zealand Herald reported.
An earlier hearing, the court was told the doctor forged the prescriptions to obtain sibutramine hydrochloride, also known as Reductil, because fellow doctors told her they were using the substance to help stay awake.
Her defence lawyer said the doctor was not a drug addict and the offending happened at a time of great stress before an upcoming rotation working long hours in a hospital emergency room.
"She was afraid of killing someone by missing something," her lawyer said.
The New Zealand Resident Doctors' Association issued a warning to members soon after the doctor was first charged.
"If you are using medication to stay awake, this is extremely unsafe and the RDA advises against it.
"The risk to your patients, your medical career and your reputation is far too great," the email said.
Struggling doctors were told to contact the union if the working roster was a problem.
The doctor will be sentenced this month.