Nadeem Rafiq, registration number 2055528, was issued a 12-month suspension by the GPhC last year after he “squeezed” a colleague’s buttock and behaved in a way “intended to harass and/or intimidate” her.
But at a review hearing last month (October 23), the regulator’s fitness-to-practise (FtP) committee decided that the pharmacist’s fitness to practise is “no longer impaired” and his suspension “will lapse on expiry”.
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According to the hearing document, Rafiq “acknowledged that his actions were out of character and expressed anger and disappointment in himself”, and had “focused on remediation and personal rehabilitation” during his suspension.
He also “submitted a bundle of evidence demonstrating positive change, including training records, continuing professional development (CPD) activities, case studies and a safeguard practice checklist”, it said.
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However, the GPhC noted that Rafiq “has not fully explained how the misconduct occurred” and that “while he cited overfamiliarity and workplace culture, there remains a lack of psychological insight” about his “sexually inappropriate behaviour”.
“A pharmacist should not require a policy to understand that sexual harassment is unacceptable and there may be some minimisation of personal responsibility,” it said.
“Pre-meditated” assault
Rafiq’s principal hearing last year revealed that while he was working as the responsible pharmacist at a Birmingham pharmacy in January 2023, he sent his dispenser colleague a WhatsApp message that read “don’t sit next to me...u turning me on”.
He then “approached her from behind and squeezed her left buttock” in a move Rafiq claimed was “unintentional” - but GPhC analysis of CCTV footage found was “pre-meditated”, documents said.
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The colleague told the GPhC that returning to the pharmacy some six weeks later, having asked the owner to instead work at a neighbouring branch, Rafiq was “vindictive towards her for reporting the sexual assault”.
Rafiq told the review hearing that he has worked as a pharmacy assistant in a community setting over the past 12 months, describing the transition from superintendent pharmacist as “humbling”.
He expressed a “strong desire to work as an independent prescriber (IP) in a clinical setting and to contribute to academia and leadership within the pharmaceutical profession”, the documents revealed.
“Genuine remorse”
At last month’s review hearing, Rafiq told the committee that he had a “renewed commitment to professionalism, resilience and ethical practice” and “no longer recognises the person he was at the time of the original events”.
The GPhC said that a “structured mentorship programme” that Rafiq had “initiated voluntarily” with a former colleague was “noted as a significant step in his rehabilitation”.
Giving evidence, his mentor reported that Rafiq had “shown consistent progress, dedication and professionalism” and that he has “no concerns about [his] conduct and believes he is capable of returning to practice”.
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And the GPhC acknowledged that Rafiq had “shown genuine remorse and a desire to rebuild trust in the profession”.
But the regulator also pointed out that “despite being given opportunities during the hearing”, Rafiq “did not fully articulate what motivated his actions at the time or whether he considered the potential harm” to the colleague involved.
“While he provided possible reasoning, including personal stress and emotional strain, the committee found that his explanation lacked depth in terms of self-awareness and psychological insight,” it added.
“No longer impaired”
Nevertheless, the committee found that Rafiq “does not pose a current risk to patients, colleagues or the public” and “has demonstrated sustained remediation, professional development and a willingness to engage with the process”.
“The absence of further complaints, the positive testimonials and the structured support in place all point to a low risk of repetition,” it added.
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The regulator concluded that Rafiq’s suspension has “adequately addressed the need to uphold public confidence and professional standards in the profession” and his fitness to practise is “no longer impaired”.
The suspension was set to end on its expiry date of November 4, it said.
Read the determination in full here.
If you’ve been affected by sexual harassment in the workplace, reach out to NAWP , Pharmacist Support or PASS in Northern Ireland for help. Find free materials to raise awareness of a zero tolerance of abuse policies in pharmacies here.
