DRUG-ADDICTED, ALCOHOLIC DOCTOR PRACTISING

Wellington: A drug-addicted alcoholic doctor, recently convicted of using
false prescriptions to dose himself with Class B drugs, is back practising
medicine.

The Medical Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal has decided to let him keep
practising, with his identity suppressed, as one of 69 "monitored" doctors.

The doctor, who admitted he was a recovering addict to opiates and alcohol,
was convicted last year of stealing 26 prescription forms from his practice
partner, filling them out and signing them with a false signature.

He took them to a nearby city where he obtained morphine and pethidine,
which he used himself. He was also convicted of a drink-driving offence in
September this year.

The doctor was granted permanent name suppression by the tribunal, which
cited that publicity would have a seriously adverse impact upon the
prospects for the rehabilitation of the practitioner.

"Because of his fragile medical condition, his current state of health, the
early stage of recovery which he is currently in, his personality and his
propensity to become clinically depressed, the practitioner is peculiarly
vulnerable to adverse publicity and serious harm to his health could result
from his name not being suppressed," the tribunal said.

Suppression also extended to the name of the practice and the semi-rural
area he works in.

In the decision issued yesterday, it was revealed the doctor had struggled
with drug addiction for some years and had once been suspended from
practising for four months. Last year, he began administering morphine to
himself and stole the prescriptions.