Doctor rapped over drugs prescriptions

RACHEL YOUNG

A Christchurch doctor who admitted professional misconduct relating to prescribing controlled drugs will undergo psychological treatment to help him learn to say no to patients.

The doctor, who has name suppression, appeared before the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal in Christchurch yesterday.

In 2010, the doctor, known as Dr S, went on leave leaving a locum to oversee his practice.

The locum became concerned about Dr S's pattern of prescribing drugs, in particular opiates and benzodiazepines, to his patients.

The locum's concerns were raised with Dr S and in April 2011 a professional conduct committee (PCC) was established.

The PCC recommended that a charge of professional misconduct be brought against Dr S for prescribing a controlled drug to a patient who he had to reason to believe was dependent on it and/or for prescribing opioids, benzodiazepines and facilitating self-injections in a way that "deviated significantly from the practice of his medical peers".

Five patients were given as examples in the summary of facts.

In the summary, Dr S acknowledged his prescribing of self-injecting opioids was not standard practice and his prescribing of benzodiazepines was outside the normal range.

In a statement, Dr S accepted his prescribing was "inappropriate" and said he had started to address the issue prior to his leave.

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Doctor rapped over drugs prescriptions