Locum pharmacist Ahmad Abdelnabi, registration number 2234674, has been given a warning for failing to provide emergency hormonal contraception (EHC) to a patient, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has revealed.
The investigating committee found that he was “short and dismissive” with the patient and “did not signpost [them] to alternative treatment or care options”, the determination document from last week (January 8) said.
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The regulator warned Abdelnabi that “effective, compassionate, person-centred communication is key to providing effective pharmacy provision”.
And it stressed that his behaviour breached the standards by failing to “use professional judgement” and “behave in a professional manner”.
“Short and dismissive”
While working as a locum pharmacist in September 2024, a patient attended the pharmacy “seeking emergency hormonal contraception”, the GPhC said.
But during the consultation, Abdelnabi was “short and dismissive”, “did not provide” the medication and made “no notes of the consultation or his reasoning” for his refusal, the committee heard.
He also “did not signpost the patient to alternative treatment or care options”, it said, adding that the patient “later discovered they were, in fact, pregnant and suffered a miscarriage”.
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The regulator stressed that “such failings have the potential to harm individual patients and to undermine the wider reputation of the profession and public confidence”.
It urged Abdelnabi to “ensure there is no repetition of such conduct”, adding that consultation decisions should be “fully explained to patients and recorded”.
This includes “signposting to alternative support where appropriate”, the document said.
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The GPhC found that Abdelnabi had failed to “provide person-centred care”, to work “in partnership with others” and to “communicate effectively”.
It concluded that the “appropriate” outcome is a warning to be published on the register and available for 12 months.
Read the determination in full here.
