T
Tadakatsu Honda
Guest
Singapore
March 1, 2010
GP suspended 6 months
THE Singapore Medical Council has suspended a general practitioner for six months and fined him $5,000 after he was found guilty of 22 charges of inappropriately prescribing a hypnotic medication and Subutex. Dr Tan Gek Young, who practised at the Meridian Polyclinic and Surgery at Bedok North Avenue 3, was convicted following a disciplinary inquiry held on Jan 19. He admitted to 21 charges of inappropriate prescription of Benzodiazepines as hypnotic medication, out of which two were for Benzodiazepines and Subutex, and five for both Benzodiazepines and cough mixture containing Codeine.
The remaining charge was for inappropriately prescribing Subutex, which is used to help heroin addicts kick their habit but was banned in 2006 due to rampant abuse. The Disciplinary Committee found Dr Tan's mismanagement of patients relating to Subutex to be 'particularly troubling', given the 'rising incidences of undesirable conduct of medical practitioners either in indiscriminately prescribing opiates, hypnotics or cough mixtures containing codeine,' and said it had to treat such misconduct seriously as a deterrent to doctors from committing similar acts. The DC also found Dr Tan's recording of patient information only at the initial stage to be poor and unacceptable record keeping. Dr Tan was also ordered to pay the costs and expenses of the proceedings.
March 1, 2010
GP suspended 6 months
THE Singapore Medical Council has suspended a general practitioner for six months and fined him $5,000 after he was found guilty of 22 charges of inappropriately prescribing a hypnotic medication and Subutex. Dr Tan Gek Young, who practised at the Meridian Polyclinic and Surgery at Bedok North Avenue 3, was convicted following a disciplinary inquiry held on Jan 19. He admitted to 21 charges of inappropriate prescription of Benzodiazepines as hypnotic medication, out of which two were for Benzodiazepines and Subutex, and five for both Benzodiazepines and cough mixture containing Codeine.
The remaining charge was for inappropriately prescribing Subutex, which is used to help heroin addicts kick their habit but was banned in 2006 due to rampant abuse. The Disciplinary Committee found Dr Tan's mismanagement of patients relating to Subutex to be 'particularly troubling', given the 'rising incidences of undesirable conduct of medical practitioners either in indiscriminately prescribing opiates, hypnotics or cough mixtures containing codeine,' and said it had to treat such misconduct seriously as a deterrent to doctors from committing similar acts. The DC also found Dr Tan's recording of patient information only at the initial stage to be poor and unacceptable record keeping. Dr Tan was also ordered to pay the costs and expenses of the proceedings.
