Pharmacy DailyPharmacy Daily | Oxy pharmacist arraigned

THE NSW Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) has pursued a series of complaints against Sydney pharmacist Anthony Sadek before the Civil and Administrative Tribunal of NSW, around instances of excessive OxyContin dispensing.

In a decision handed down yesterday following a hearing in late Oct, Sadek was found to have engaged in unsatisfactory professional conduct and professional misconduct relating to "multiple improprieties in recording and dispensing of Schedule 8 medications."

Sadek, first registered in 1989, was found guilty of failing to report unaccounted for Schedule 8 medications, failing to report suspect and tampered Schedule 8 scripts, dispensing very large quantities of high strength OxyContin with no directions for use, and dispensing very large quantities of high strength OxyContin to a person not the script holder and not authorised by patients to collect on their behalf.

A non-publication order is in effect prohibiting disclosure of the names of the patients and medical practitioners in the schedule to the complaint, and any other patients named in evidence.

The Tribunal ruled that Sadek "was prepared to tailor and falsify his evidence under oath", that "more than mere incompetence was involved" and that his conduct was "improper and unethical", ruling that the matter proceed to Stage 2 determination.

The question of costs is reserved until the second stage of the matter is determined.

Sadek is the proprietor of a pharmacy in the suburb of Guildford, with the case following a probe initiated in 2013 where the Pharmaceutical Services Unit reviewed wholesale records of OxyContin and noticed the pharmacy had purchased an unusually high number of tablets.

A 2014 Pharmacy Council hearing imposed conditions that Sadek not possess, supply or manufacture drugs of addiction other than methadone and buprenorphine.

The record of the hearing determined today said the pharmacist did not contest many factual aspects underlying the complaint, but "did not concede that any of the conduct was unsatisfactory professional conduct, or professional misconduct".