Ms Priya Patel – Pharmacist – Registration cancelled for professional misconduct and unsatisfactory professional conduct

2 February 2022

The Health Care Complaints Commission prosecuted a complaint against Priya Patel, a registered pharmacist and joint proprietor of the David Wilson Day Night Chemist at Kirrawee. It was alleged that between 2015 – 2018 Ms Patel either dispensed or as proprietor of the pharmacy was responsible for the dispensing, large quantities of schedule 8 drugs of addiction to 8 patients in circumstance where the dispensing was not appropriate. The Commission alleged that Ms Patel should have known that most of the patients being dispensed medications were or were at risk of becoming drug-dependent and that the drugs her pharmacy was supplying risked the patients’ health and safety and were liable to misuse or diversion. Ms Patel decided not to participate in the proceedings.

In its January 2022 decision, the Tribunal found majority of the Complaints proven. The Tribunal stated, “there is no information available to us which would provide us with any comfort that the respondent is now able to practise pharmacy safely. Because of the egregious nature of the respondent’s misconduct, the serious risk to the health and safety of patients which it created, and the lack of any information that would persuade us that in some way she might be able to practise pharmacy safely, we conclude that it is appropriate that in all the circumstances her registration be cancelled.” The Tribunal cancelled Ms Patel’s registration and set a non-review period of 3 years.

The full decision is available at NSW Caselaw.

Further information

For further information, contact the Executive Officer of the Health Care Complaints Commission, on 02 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.