Doctor faces being struck over prescription fraud

May 12 2011 by Alistair Watson, West Lothian Courier

stjohns

A WEST Lothian doctor faces being struck-off after he was caught writing prescriptions for himself using false names.

Dr Morris Anderson, 58, used false patient details to write fictitious prescriptions for powerful opiates to feed his own habit as he “blatantly abused” his position of trust.

The medic prescribed the pain killer Dihydrocodeine and the antihistamine cyclizine by using fake identities.

The Edinburgh University graduate also used his wife’s maiden surname to fraudulently obtain the drugs from pharmacies across West Lothian, a court heard.

Anderson, whose address was given as Carrick Gardens, Livingston, was fined £1000 by Sheriff Donald Ferguson at Livingston Sheriff Court last week after he pled guilty to six counts of obtaining prescription drugs by fraud.

In March, the General Medical Council imposed 11 conditions on his practising certificate, including a ban on prescribing drugs for himself or his family and requiring him to apply for GMC approval before accepting a job.

He is also not allowed to undertake any private practise.

But now he could face a GMC fitness to practise disciplinary hearing panel whose sanctions can include striking his name from the medical register.

Last week the sheriff court heard Anderson formed his fraudulent scheme to obtain prescription drugs by filling in false patient names on scripts between September 28, 2008, and August 11, 2010.

At the time the 58-year-old, who was suffering from clinical depression, worked for NHS Lothian’s out-of-hours services and the unscheduled care service and treated patients at St John’s Hospital in Livingston.

Anderson, a first offender, took the false prescriptions to pharmacies at Morrisons supermarket and Boots the Chemist in Livingston and at Lindsay and Gilmour in East Calder.

Dihydrocodeine, an opiate related to heroin, gives a relaxing and euphoric high when taken in higher than therapeutic doses and can be highly addictive.

Cyclizine — commonly marketed as Valoid — gives a feeling of intense exhilaration when injected or taken orally.

It can be used recreationally as an opiate-enhancing antihistamine.

Anderson’s prescription scam was unveiled when a pharmacist became suspicious about the patient identities and contacted NHS Counter Fraud Services (CFS) who launched an investigation.

The court was told that Anderson had suffered from clinical depression for more than five years and had been treated by a psychiatrist.

In addition, he suffered from panic attacks and one of his close relatives had been suffering from terminal cancer.

Anderson was immediately suspended from his job with NHS Lothian when the offence came to light. However, it is believed that he is still employed by the health board and receiving half pay of around £35,000 a year.

He now faces being sacked by a disciplinary panel now that court proceedings have ended.

Alan Boyter, Director of Human Resources and Development, NHS Lothian said this week: “Now that the court case has been concluded we are moving to deal with the issues in respect of this employee.