Internet pharmacist guilty
May 15, 2013
A Sydney-based pharmacist
who dispensed drugs to patients in
the US as part of an internet-based
mail order business has been found
guilty of professional misconduct.
Susan Schaffer, who graduated
with a pharmacy degree from the
University of Sydney in 1987, was
prosecuted by the NSW Health
Care Complaints Commission,
with the tribunal finding that the
business involved “prescriptions
issued by prescribers in the USA
being forwarded to pharmacies in
Canada”.
These scripts, some of which were
for erectile dysfunction drugs, were
then scanned and electronically
sent to Schaffer, who made
them available to a NSW medical
practitioner, Dr John McKenzie.
The doctor would then authorise
the dispensing and later sign the
prescription.
Between 2005 and 2007 the
business, which operated from
Schaffer’s Australiawide Pharmacy
in Watson’s Bay, handled about 60-
100 prescriptions per week.
The Pharmacy Tribunal found
that Schaffer had dispensed drugs
under this arrangement without
a signed prescription at the time
of dispensing and “contrary to
the Guidelines for Mail Order
Dispensing” of the then Pharmacy
Board of NSW.
She did not obtain information
from new patients by way of a
comprehensive written form or
telephone enquiry, or have a
control system in place to ensure
the medication was received.
The case was heard in Jun and
Oct last year, with a decision
rendered earlier this month finding
Schaffer was guilty of professional
misconduct, with the Tribunal
to now determine “appropriate
protective orders”.
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