Doctors Actions Considered “Risky”

Doctors Actions Considered “Risky”

According to the BBC, the GMC was told that the actions of Dr Adam Osbourne were “risky”.

The 33-year-old gave medication used to treat schizophrenia to a woman displaying signs of cocaine abuse. He has admitted to prescribing drugs for a friend, family member and girlfriend –but denies inappropriate  conduct.

The GMC says doctors can only prescribe for family and friends in emergencies.

The hearing was told Dr Osbourne indulged in “risky” and “inappropriate” practice when he procured the medication.

He admitted failing to record the prescriptions in the “patients” records or informing their GPs. The doctor sparked concern amongst his supervisors and as soon as they discovered his dishonest behaviour they excluded him from practice at Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust.

Dr Sean Lennon, a clinical director at the trust, told the Fitness to Practice Panel in London that Dr Osbourne was not in a position to prescribe medication to the woman who suffered from schizophrenia stating,

“My concern was that he was managing the care of someone outside his competence and I had anxieties then about what the implications might be for the care of other patients.”

Dr Osbourne, who denies acting in a dishonest manner, resigned from the trust but following an investigation he was dismissed for gross misconduct.

Dr Osbourne, whose position at the time was that of psychiatry trainee, made a grave misjudgement in consistently prescribing this medication. Although it seems as though he was just trying to help out family members,  his failure to update medical records in fact shows a disregard for the “patient” as if they were to be admitted to hospital and the drugs they were on were not noted then there could easily be complications as a result. Dr Lennon also indicated that as a trainee he would have been well aware that he was acting outside his remit in prescribing this medication and he put the health of the individuals for whom he prescribed the medication at risk.