‘Ashamed' pharmacist suspended over Class C drug prescriptions for family and friends
Experienced professional behaved dishonestly and breached rules, says regulator
A Co Down pharmacist who prescribed class C drugs for her partner, family and friends has been suspended from the profession for nine-months.
Experienced pharmacist Geraldine McClean told a disciplinary hearing she was 'ashamed' of her actions which included repeatedly prescribing and facilitating the supply of the powerful painkiller Tramadol when it was not clinically appropriate or required.
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Belfast Telegraph
5 days ago
- Belfast Telegraph
‘Ashamed' pharmacist suspended over Class C drug prescriptions for family and friends
Experienced professional behaved dishonestly and breached rules, says regulator A Co Down pharmacist who prescribed class C drugs for her partner, family and friends has been suspended from the profession for nine-months. Experienced pharmacist Geraldine McClean told a disciplinary hearing she was 'ashamed' of her actions which included repeatedly prescribing and facilitating the supply of the powerful painkiller Tramadol when it was not clinically appropriate or required.
The Guardian
05-05-2025
- The Guardian
UK migrant centre sees sixfold rise in a year of staff sacked over failed drug tests
A total of 29 staff have been sacked after positive drug tests at the Manston migrant processing centre – a sixfold increase in the space of a year, the Guardian has learned. Thousands of asylum seekers who arrive in the UK after crossing the Channel on dinghies are processed at the site near Ramsgate in Kent by Home Office officials and contractors. Many of the new arrivals are vulnerable and arrive in the UK traumatised. New Home Office freedom of information data obtained by the Guardian reveals that, in 2024, 29 staff were sacked after testing positive for drugs including cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines and non-prescription Tramadol compared with figures from 2023, which the Home Office said involved five or fewer drugs sackings. According to the FoI data, more than 2,000 Home Office staff, contractors and sub-contractors are on the site in the space of a year, but it is not known how many of that number are detention custody officers who are directly in charge of the new arrivals. There are likely to be a few hundred staff on site during any given shift. Workers on the Manston site who test positive for illegal drugs are suspended while a disciplinary investigation is held. Those who have tested positive for drugs have an opportunity to lodge an appeal and to obtain independent analysis of the sample taken for the drug test. Home Office sources said random and intelligence-led drug testing was conducted to protect the vulnerable people being processed on the site and that positive tests lead to dismissal and withdrawal of accreditation as detention custody officers. Andy Baxter, the assistant general secretary of the Prison Officers' Association, the trade union that represents staff at Manston, said: 'The POA can never condone drug-taking in the workplace. However, we would urge the employer to offer suitable occupational support to people found to be using drugs.' This is not the first time Manston, a short-term detention facility, has been hit by a drugs controversy. In November 2022, the Guardian revealed that some guards were removed from Manston after complaints about drugs. Asylum seekers complained that some staff tried to sell them drugs while staff complained some of their colleagues were using drugs while on duty. At the time, the Home Office said: 'The individuals involved in this incident were swiftly removed from the site and we will continue to take robust action against those whose behaviour falls beneath those high standards.' However, according to the new FoI data nobody working at Manston was sacked for drug use in 2022. Manston has been the subject of many controversies including severe overcrowding in the second half of 2022 when the site, designed to hold a maximum of 1,600 asylum seekers, accommodated more than 4,000 in filthy conditions. There were mass outbreaks of diphtheria and scabies and one man died after becoming infected with diphtheria. An independent inquiry into events at Manston during that period has started its work. Emma Ginn, the director of the charity Medical Justice, which works to support people in immigration detention, said: 'Medical Justice is alarmed by the apparent high rate of illicit drug use by staff responsible for the safety and wellbeing of people who, having been detained after a perilous journey to the UK, are in a vulnerable situation and need sensitive care.' A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We have a zero-tolerance approach to illegal drug use found on testing. By introducing more robust procedures and increasing testing, we are demonstrating our commitment to ensuring the care of those transiting through Manston is maintained.' In a separate development, last month Home Office sources confirmed that a man had attempted to take his life on the site. Such attempts are unusual because new arrivals generally move through the site in a matter of hours. A Home Office spokesperson said in connection with this incident: 'Our duty of care towards people detained at Manston and across our entire immigration estate is of the utmost importance.'
BBC News
04-05-2025
- BBC News
Police object to Rotherham shop's alcohol licence request
Police have objected to a shop's application for a licence to sell alcohol, as it was previously found to be selling prescription drugs, counterfeit cigarettes and illegal Mini Market, also known as Britannia Inn Shop, on Lindley Street in Rotherham, has applied to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council for a licence to sell alcohol seven days a week. South Yorkshire Police requested that the licence be refused, citing the applicant's previous involvement in unlicensed activity, and raised fears that granting the licence could lead to an increase in anti-social applicant has outlined a number of measures to prevent anti-social behaviour and promote responsible alcohol sales. A statement was also submitted from the council's community protection and environmental health manager, which details ongoing concerns regarding the statement outlines a history of anti-social behaviour linked to the shop, including noise complaints, street drinking and gatherings of large groups. It also highlights multiple enforcement actions, including a closure order issued in December authority has expressed its lack of confidence in the applicant's ability to comply with licensing regulations. 'Health risks' The closure order followed a raid in November 2024, which uncovered illicit prescription medications, including Tramadol, Diazepam and Amitriptyline, as well as counterfeit cigarettes and clothing, and illegal premises also posed serious health risks, with evidence of a cockroach infestation and violations of food safety regulations, the Local Democracy Reporting Service discovered food products stored in unsanitary conditions, including in bathrooms and behind counters, while other items were found to be out of date and improperly shop was found to be storing fireworks illegally, and selling them without the proper licence required by the South Yorkshire fire service. The fireworks seized were deemed to be unsafe and unfit for sale under UK 18 December 2024, Sheffield Magistrates' Court granted a closure order, following the presentation of evidence detailing a series of incidents that included illegal sales and public nuisance caused by gatherings outside the following day, officers attended the premises to enforce the closure. During this visit, a further 720 illicit cigarettes, worth approximately £520, were discovered concealed in the ceiling of the the closure, the premises remained secured until 21 March, when the grills were removed and the premises was allowed to ensure compliance with licensing laws, the applicant plans to implement a comprehensive staff training programme covering the Challenge 25 scheme, alcohol refusal protocols and emergency a detailed incident log would be maintained, and a high-quality CCTV system would be installed to monitor public areas. The applicant has committed to keeping the shop clean and maintaining contact with local residents to address any council's licensing sub-committee will consider the application during its next meeting on 7 May. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
