A British pharmacist has been suspended from his profession after it was discovered that he had forged prescriptions to obtain various types of opium for himself.
Stephen James Fleck was found guilty of drawing up false prescriptions worth a total of almost £800, documents from a General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) hearing have revealed.
For nine months, Fleck forged a doctor's signature on 16 handwritten prescriptions and created 43 more prescriptions through an electronic system, also changing pharmacies to be more convenient for him in order to obtain the drugs for himself.
The pharmacist targeted patients who were already being treated with dihydrocodeine, using their names to obtain prescriptions.
Dihydrocodeine is a powerful analgesic used to treat moderate to severe pain, but it can be addictive. Other similar substances include morphine, which is structurally similar to heroin.
At the hearing, Fleck admitted he had exploited the practice's clinical system to identify patients who would not raise suspicions. The professional fitness regulator described his conduct as "deeply dishonest", highlighting a "serious breach of trust", including the unauthorised use of patients' personal data.
He deliberately selected patients over 60 who did not pay for prescriptions and were regular users of dihydrocodeine.
The documents of the General Pharmaceutical Council state:
"Although there was no evidence of direct harm, there are clear indications that patients were put at risk as their medical records were falsified to cover up the pharmacist's dishonest actions."
It is further emphasized:
“This constituted a serious breach of trust and the fundamental principles of the profession, discrediting the profession and showing that the integrity of the pharmacist could no longer be relied upon.”
Fleck had worked as a senior clinical pharmacist at the NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board (ICB) and the Dorset University Healthcare Foundation. During a medicines review, a patient handed over several excess medicines, including addictive substances, which Fleck kept for himself.
At the end of the session, it was declared:
“The pharmacist demonstrated a serious lack of judgment, putting his personal desires ahead of the interests and safety of patients, and continued to practice when he was no longer fit to do so.”
The council decided that a suspension would not be sufficient to reflect the seriousness of his conduct, so the decision was made to completely exclude him from the professional register.
Fleck pleaded guilty to theft as an employee and forging prescriptions, and was sentenced at Weymouth Magistrates' Court in May last year. He received a 44-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was ordered to carry out 250 hours of community service and pay court costs.
Meanwhile, NHS spending on opioid painkillers has doubled since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Daily Mail reveals, GazetaExpress reports.
In the last five years, almost £1 billion has been spent on these drugs, with experts blaming long waits for operations for the rise in addiction to them.
A recent study shows that extended wait times for surgical procedures, caused by pandemic closures, have led to a 40% increase in prescriptions for very strong opioids. /Express newspaper/
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