Belfast Pharmacist sentenced for illegally supplying prescription medicines

The pharmacist illegally supplied over 300,000 co-codamol tablets between January 2017 and June 2020

Laganside Crown Court, on Friday, sentenced Gerard Cullinan, a 48-year-old pharmacist and Director of Castlereagh Pharmacy Ltd in East Belfast, for unlawfully supplying controlled prescription medicines, including co-codamol and fentanyl, and for failing to maintain controlled drugs registers.

Cullinan was sentenced to 11 months imprisonment, suspended for three years, and his pharmacy was fined £8,000.

The sentencing follows an investigation by the Department of Health's Medicines Regulatory Group (MRG), which uncovered that Cullinan's pharmacy on Castlereagh Road had illegally supplied over 300,000 co-codamol tablets between January 2017 and June 2020.

Additionally, the MRG investigation identified significant breaches in record-keeping for Class A controlled drugs such as fentanyl, tapentadol, methylphenidate, morphine, and oxycodone.

“It is a serious criminal offence to sell or supply prescription only medicines without a prescription,” said Peter Moore, Senior Medicines Enforcement Officer at the MRG, who led the investigation.

“Today’s sentence demonstrates that there are serious consequences if a person bypasses the regulated system which is in place to ensure public safety and the integrity of the medicines supply chain.

“Patients and the public however can have confidence that we will take decisive action where there has been significant breaches of medicines and drugs legislation.”

Canice Ward, Head of the Medicines Regulatory Group, reiterated the Department's commitment to combating illegal activities.

“This conviction involved the blatant abuse of the privileged position of a pharmacist by diverting a large quantity of prescription medicines, thereby placing the public at risk.

“People can be assured that pharmacies in Northern Ireland are subject to regular Departmental inspection and compliance visits to ensure that they continue to operate safely and within the law.”

According to the Department of Health Northern Ireland (NI), the case will now be referred to the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland, the regulatory body for pharmacists in the region, for further action.