Pharmacist Francis Xaverio Dondo, registration number 2055363, has been warned by the GPhC after supplying prescription-only medicines (POMs), including one controlled drug, without valid prescriptions.
At a hearing on July 9, the GPhC’s investigating committee heard that Dondo supplied the medicines to two patients ”over a period of three months without being in possession of valid prescriptions” for them.
According to the determination document, Dondo also “did not seek” to supply the drugs under emergency supply procedures.
Read more: Pharmacist suspended for dumping medicines in public park
The committee acknowledged that Dondo took “some steps to obtain the relevant prescriptions”, but it stressed that he “repeatedly” supplied the medicines without the prescriptions or emergency supply procedures required.
The GPhC said the incidents took place between February and April 2023, while Dondo was working as the regular responsible pharmacist at a community pharmacy in Plymouth.
It added that “concerns were raised by a Primary Care Network Hub” about the pharmacist’s supply of medicines to “two patients who routinely receive medications” from the pharmacy he worked at.
Read more: Superintendent warned over ‘serious’ governance failures
Dondo had reported “difficulty in obtaining timely prescriptions from the Primary Care Network Hub to enable uninterrupted supply to patients”, the regulator noted.
The committee found that Dondo’s actions risked putting “patients at risk of harm” and had the potential to “undermine confidence in the profession”.
It also said Dondo had breached the GPhC’s standards on working in partnership with others and behaving in a professional manner.
Read more: Pharmacy tech suspended over undisclosed assault conviction
The regulator warned Dondo “to be vigilant about adhering to his professional obligations” to supply medicines “in compliance with the appropriate governance frameworks, in the interests of patient safety”.
The warning will be published on the register and available for 12 months.
Read the full determination here.