Dr Michael Serafin – Pharmacist – Registration cancelled for professional misconduct

11 March 2022

The Health Care Complaints Commission prosecuted a complaint before the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal against registered pharmacist, Dr Michael Serafin, the proprietor of Complementary Compounding Services, located in Ballina. There were multiple allegations with the primary matters being that between 2013 – 2017, Dr Serafin was responsible for the following:

• Repeated failures to comply with the requirements of the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act (PTGR) in compounding and dispensing prescribed restricted substances and drugs of addiction.
• Compounding and dispensing ketamine (a Schedule 8 drug) in quantities and for a purpose which did not accord with the recognised therapeutic standards of what was appropriate in the circumstances.
• Inappropriately compounding and dispensing prescribed restricted substances consisting mainly of Performance and Image Enhancing Drugs (PIEDs), in circumstances where among other things, he failed to ensure that they were in quantities and for a purpose which accords with the recognised therapeutic standards of what was appropriate in the circumstances.
• Compounding and dispensing Myer’s Cocktail and other substances for parenteral use in circumstances where he ought to have known, exercising responsible professional judgement, that they would be administered to people other than to whom they were prescribed.
• Over a period of seven years, failing to conduct biannual audits of Schedule 8 drugs as required by the PTGR.

It was further alleged that Dr Serafin failed to ensure that his employed pharmacists compounded and dispensed the above appropriately.

In its decision of February 2022 decision, the Tribunal found professional misconduct and cancelled Dr Serafin’s registration, with a non-review period of 18 months.

A copy of the full decision can be found on NSW Caselaw.

Further Information

For further information, contact the Executive Officer of the Health Care Complaints Commission, on 9219 7444 or send an email to media@hccc.nsw.gov.au.

The information in this media release is correct at the time of publication. Orders may change; for example, conditions may no longer apply. For current information regarding the status of a registered health practitioner, including any conditions that currently apply, please check the National Register at www.ahpra.gov.au.