Pharmacist reprimanded for self dispensing without valid prescriptions

24 Nov 2020

A Perth pharmacist has been reprimanded and has had her registration suspended for two months by the State Administrative Tribunal (the tribunal) after admitting that she had engaged in professional misconduct.

Ms Michelle Fall admitted that she had self-dispensed a number of Schedule 4 prescription-only medications from her workplace without a valid prescription. The practitioner also admitted that she did not pay for some of the medications and that she had made false and misleading entries in her workplace’s electronic records management system.

The Pharmacy Board of Australia (the Board) and Ms Fall agreed that her conduct constitutes professional misconduct and the terms on which the matter could be resolved. 

On 26 June 2020, the tribunal ordered that:

• The practitioner has behaved in a way that constitutes professional misconduct. 
• The practitioner is reprimanded.
• The practitioner’s registration is suspended for 2 months.
• Conditions requiring the practitioner to undertake education are to be imposed on her registration at the conclusion of the period of suspension, with a review period of 6 months. The education is required to include a Board approved program on appropriate dispensing, ethical decision making and record keeping.
• The practitioner must pay a contribution towards the Board’s costs of the proceedings.

The tribunal’s final orders record that although the practitioner did not have a valid prescription for the medications she self-dispensed, she had previously been validly prescribed the medications by her general practitioner. The tribunal’s orders also record that, among other things, the practitioner fully cooperated with the Board, showed significant insight into her conduct and has taken steps to ensure her conduct is not repeated. 

The orders are available on the eCourts Portal of Western Australia website.