Pharmacist gave drugs without prescription
A FOUL-mouthed pharmacist put the life of a recovering drug addict at risk by giving her methadone without valid prescriptions, a misconduct hearing was told.
Edwin Ashby, who is registered at Hughenden Court, Mount Pleasant Road, made up 50ml methadone supplies for a woman patient, referred to as MM, without a doctor's authority on three occasions, it is said.
The locum pharmacist also supplied another customer with pethidine tablets despite the prescription having expired, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society was told.
Ashby is accused of ignoring medical protocol during a week in August 2003 while working at a pharmacy in Powys, Wales.
Under-fire Ashby faces a catalogue of allegations relating to his work at a string of pharmacies across the country including Norwich, Bridlingon, Yorks and Weymouth, Dorset.
He allegedly reduced women staff to tears with his 'ferocious' and 'aggressive' tirades, it is said.
Retail manger Susan Air told the hearing Ashby was 'not bothered' when she told him the prescription for the methadone he had supplied to MM on August 6, 2003, had expired.
Mrs Air said she overheard Ashby say: "It's a human error isn't it?" during a meeting with his area manager about the dispensing error.
She added: "Mr Ashby later said it was a crap pharmacy, it was not a happy place to work while he was there."
When Ashby was interviewed about the matters by inspectors of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society ,he admitted he had not read the Code of Ethics.
Ashby is also accused assaulting a colleague, taking patients' drugs and reducing colleagues to tears with foulmouthed tirades.
He regularly turned the air blue as he tore a strip off his staff in front of shocked customers, it is said.
A probe was launched following accusations that Ashby stole a bottle of Polytar liquid and Semprex tablets while working in Weymouth, Dorset.
Ashby finally worked as a locum at a pharmacy in Bridlington. There he physically assaulted a colleague, it is said. Police investigated the matter but no charges were made.
And between September and November last year, it is said he failed to co-operate with an investigation by an inspector employed by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
The 61-year-old Australian denies misconduct. The case continues.
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Monday 28 May 2012
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