A pharmacist from SA has had his registration cancelled after being found guilty of unlawfully possessing prescription drugs and attempting to distribute them to acquaintances.
Mahn (Peter) Nguyen is also banned from reapplying for registration until November 2025.
Between 2013-2018 when Nguyen served as a senior clincal pharmacist in Adelaide, he committed a number of infractions, such as the unauthorised removal of prescription medication and drugs of dependence from his workplace, which he stored at home.
He also failed to maintain proper records of drugs of dependence, offered to supply illicit drugs and Schedule 8 and Schedule 4 medications to acquaintances and prescribed an associate pain relief medication using someone else's prescriber number without appropriate authority.
Following an internal investigation by his employer that led to his suspension and subsequent resignation in Feb 2018, Nguyen was reported to the police in Mar of the same year.
He later admitted to the charges in Port Adelaide Magistrates Court in Sep 2019, receiving an 18-month good behaviour bond and a mandate for 60 hours of community service.
The South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, acting on a referral from the Pharmacy Board of Australia and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, deemed Nguyen's actions as serious and deliberate.
Nguyen was also reprimanded and barred from any health service role involving unsupervised access to medications. JG
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 08 Apr 24
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 08 Apr 24