Pharmacist guilty of misconduct

4:32pm Thursday 29th June 2006

A Bury pharmacist has been found guilty of misconduct by his professional body for stealing painkillers from a Welsh pharmacy where he had worked.

Korush Jalili Farahani, of Walmersley Road, must wait for three months to hear the outcome of disciplinary proceedings taken against him by The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Chairman at the London hearing, Lord Peter Fraser of Carmyllie QC, ordered that Mr Farahani must not work as a pharmacist during that time.

Lord Fraser said : "He admits the conviction and stealing tablets and consuming tablets at work. This is quite unacceptable behaviour on anyone's part, particularly a pharmacist."

He said the committee was "troubled" by the case and wanted a medical report before deciding the course to take in respect of Mr Farahani.

The hearing was told that Mr Farahani had stolen painkillers from Superdrug in Llandudno while working there as a locum.

He appeared on the theft charge at Conwy Magistrates Court on November 4, 2004 and was fined £200 with £55 costs.

Balvinder Banga, for the RPS, said that Mr Farahani was approached by the pharmacy security manager, informed there were discrepancies over drugs and asked to empty out his rucksack. A packet of 28 Codeine phosphate tablets were discovered and he admitted he had taken them from the pharmacy.

Mr Farahani told the hearing he had suffered back pain for ten years and also suffered depression but said : "I am not here to defend myself. It was a very stupid thing. There's no way I can defend this there's no excuse."

Now running his own beauty business as well as carrying out some locum work, he said: "When this happened I was going through a very bad time in my life that's over now." The hearing was adjourned to await a report from Mr Farahani's GP.