Oncologist signed blank prescription form for doctor which was used to obtain addictive drugs
Inquiry heard Dr Yousif of Oranmore, Co Galway, admitted providing a signed blank prescription with the hospital’s headed notepaper around April 30, 2018, to another doctor, known as Doctor A, who claimed she wanted medicine for her sick mother who was living in Sudan. Picture: Pexels
A consultant at Sligo University Hospital has appeared before a medical inquiry on charges of professional misconduct for providing a signed blank prescription form to another doctor which was used to obtain a large volume of addictive and potentially fatal drugs.
However, the inquiry by the Irish Medical Council’s fitness to practise committee into the conduct of Dr Ala Yousif, a consultant oncologist at SUH, was halted after he gave an undertaking not to repeat the action that was the subject of a complaint to the medical watchdog.
The inquiry heard Dr Yousif of Oranmore, Co Galway, who has practised in Ireland since 2003, admitted providing a signed blank prescription with the hospital’s headed notepaper around April 30, 2018, to another doctor, known as Doctor A, who claimed she wanted medicine for her sick mother who was living in Sudan.
The inquiry heard neither Doctor A nor her mother were patients of Dr Yousif or of SUH and he had not examined either woman.
Deirdre O’Donovan, a pharmacist at the Laois Pharmacy in Portlaoise, Co Laois, told the inquiry she had contacted the IMC after Doctor A had handed in the prescription signed by Dr Yousif.
Ms O’Donovan said she had previous issues with prescriptions for Doctor A and a “red flag” was raised when she saw the drugs being sought.
The pharmacist said they included a hi-tech drug which could only be signed by a consultant which also needed authorisation from the distributor.
Ms O’Donovan said she tried to contact Dr Yousif to validate the prescription but was unable to reach him, although he had later contacted her after she had provided the drugs to the doctor.
However, the pharmacist said she could not recall being asked by Dr Yousif not to issue the prescription after what she had told him.
A consultant in emergency medicine and expert witness for the IMC, Dr Jean O’Sullivan, claimed the allegations against Dr Yousif amounted to both professional misconduct and poor professional performance.
Dr O’Sullivan said the provision of the signed blank prescription form gave someone “a carte blanche” to fill out any drugs and had serious consequences as the actual drugs constituted a combination of addictive, potentially fatal opioids and sedatives.
She pointed out it remained unclear who had actually used the drugs prescribed on the form.
While Dr Yousif’s actions were well-intentioned, Dr O’Sullivan said they were not in the patient’s best interest and constituted “disgraceful and dishonourable” behaviour.
Dr O’Sullivan said doctors could be placed in an awkward position by family and friends seeking prescriptions but Dr Yousif had a responsibility to ensure the details on any prescription form signed by him were correct.
However, the FTP committee accepted an application by counsel for Dr Yousif, Gráinne O’Neill BL, under Section 67 of the Medical Practitioners Act 2007, to stop the inquiry on the basis that her client would give an undertaking not to sign any blank prescription forms in future.
The chairperson of the FTP committee, Ronan Quirke, said the case was an appropriate one to accept a Section 67 application as Dr Yousif had made admissions and demonstrated insight into his actions.
Mr Quirke said the committee was satisfied it was a single incident in an otherwise unblemished career of over 20 years by a doctor who had widespread support from his medical colleagues.
He said the consultant’s actions, while foolish, were not done in self-interest but “to assist a critically ill person in Sudan.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
