A former Boots pharmacy technician has been struck off the register for stealing almost £1,400-worth of prescription medication over two years.
 

Ian Chamberlain, registration number 5037541, was convicted last year of stealing 1,960 ephedrine hydrochloride tablets from a Boots pharmacy in Southport, Merseyside, between January 2012 and February 2014, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) heard at a fitness-to-practise hearing on January 15.
 

The GPhC heard that Mr Chamberlain had intended to use the prescription-only tablets for weight loss and had admitted to stealing the ephedrine as soon as he was challenged on it. It also noted that Mr Chamberlain had expressed remorse for his actions in his resignation letter to Boots.
 

But the GPhC asserted that the nature of his dishonesty meant that the integrity of Mr Chamberlain, who had "not engaged at all" with its investigation, could no longer be relied on. 
 

Mr Chamberlain had been working for Boots for 12 years when he was suspended in February 2014 following an investigation into the ordering and theft of large quantities of ephedrine hydrochloride tablets, the GPhC heard.
 

Mr Chamberlain had been responsible for receiving deliveries of the drug, and in an internal interview with Boots he explained that he would hide them in the pharmacy until the end of the day, when he would take them home in his pockets. Mr Chamberlain admitted he had “at least sometimes” deleted the ordering history on the computer system to conceal his actions, the GPhC heard.

'Deep regret'

Mr Chamberlain tendered his resignation before an internal disciplinary hearing was due to begin. In his resignation letter from February 2014, Mr Chamberlain said he "deeply regretted" the decisions he had made while at Boots. In Boots' response, it noted that Mr Chamberlain did not feel that he deserved to work for the company any longer, the GPhC heard.

 
Mr Chamberlain pleaded guilty to theft at Sefton Magistrates Court in April 2014 and was sentenced to 170 hours of unpaid work over 12 months. He was also ordered to pay compensation to Boots to cover the costs of his thefts, as well as prosecution costs and a victim surcharge. Mr Chamberlain had paid the compensation and complied with his community order, the regulator noted.

 
The GPhC said that, although Mr Chamberlain’s conduct had not caused any risk to patients, his actions had “undoubtedly” brought the profession into disrepute. Pharmacists were seen as the "gatekeepers of medication" and Mr Chamberlain's conduct had the potential to "seriously undermine public confidence in the profession".
 

It decided that Mr Chamberlain’s actions were “fundamentally incompatible” with remaining on the register and ruled to strike him off.
 

Read the full determination here.

 

 

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