Tribunal reprimands nurse for theft and forged prescription

10 Dec 2015

A tribunal has reprimanded a nurse and found she engaged in professional misconduct for stealing a blank prescription and forging a prescription for a drug of dependence.

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia referred Ms Margaret Black to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), alleging that in 2012 she had stolen a blank script, forged a prescription for Endone, a schedule 8 drug of dependence and attempted to have the script filled by the local pharmacist.

The pharmacist contacted Ms Black’s employer, who referred the matter to the police and AHPRA.

The Board also alleged that Ms Black had failed to disclose her criminal history to the Board when she applied to renew her registration in May 2013. By then, Ms Black had pleaded guilty in the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria to theft and forging a drug of dependence and been placed on a good behaviour bond for two years. The court did not record a conviction against her.

Ms Black’s registration had lapsed by the time of the VCAT hearing and the nurse did not participate in the VCAT hearing process or in AHPRA’s investigation.

In August 2015, VCAT reprimanded Ms Black, found she had engaged in professional misconduct for theft and forgery and unprofessional conduct for failing to disclose her criminal history to the Board. VCAT did not set a minimum period before Ms Black can reapply for registration with the Board.

The VCAT decision is published on Austlii.