Tribunal reprimands nurse for medication misappropriation

29 Nov 2019

A tribunal has reprimanded a registered nurse and ordered conditions be placed on his registration after he admitted to misappropriating medication from his workplace for personal use. 

On 26 June 2019, the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) referred the nurse to the State Administrative Tribunal in Western Australia (tribunal) for misappropriating various medications and alleged that he was suffering from a health impairment. The nurse admitted the behaviour and the parties agreed the facts and proposed orders. 

On 28 November 2019, the tribunal found that the nurse had behaved in a way that constitutes professional misconduct and that he has a health impairment. The tribunal ordered that the nurse be reprimanded and have conditions imposed on his registration, including that he undertakes urine and hair drug screening and is precluded from accessing Schedule 4 and 8 medications without direct supervision.

The tribunal’s decision was published on the e-Courts Portal on 29 November 2019. 

Please note, the nurse’s name is withheld because of a suppression order made by the tribunal. 

Please note: due to an administrative delay this news item was published on 3 May 2021.