Yorkshire pharmacist who showed ‘no concern for his patients’ safety’ is suspended

Ismail Patel failed to conduct the necessary clinical checks before prescribing medication to six patients, when he worked as an Independent Prescriber at Instant E-Care Pharmacy in Cardiff for several months in 2019.

The General Pharmaceutical Council said the prescriptions were “purely transactional” as Mr Patel agreed to send medications to people who filled out an online questionnaire.

The council also said Mr Patel “knew he was neither qualified nor trained to prescribe for the varied and wide conditions for which he did so”.

The pharmacist, who trained in Sheffield, was suspended following a disciplinary hearing.

During the hearing, Mr Patel’s lawyer said there is no evidence that his actions caused “actual harm” to a patient and he has “practised without further issues for three years” since the incident.

The investigation found he had approved numerous prescriptions of zopiclone and zolpidem to five patients who contacted the online pharmacy and claimed they were struggling with insomnia. He also issued five supplies of Co-codamol to someone with a perianal abscess.

But according to the council, he failed to adequately examine the clinical need for these treatments, consult their GPs or consider whether there were risks of addiction or misuse.

In its ruling, the council said: “The registrant (Mr Patel) was the gatekeeper of potentially dangerous medications which are well known to be liable to abuse, and had a professional responsibility to ensure for himself that the drugs he prescribed were suitable for the alleged conditions and medical histories of the patients who sought them.”