GP guilty of misconduct

The GMC hearing found Dr Donnachie guilty

A Glasgow GP has been found guilty of serious professional misconduct for overprescribing sleeping pills and painkillers to drug addicts.

Hugh James Donnachie had ignored warnings about the situation at the Gorbals Health Centre for six years.

At a disciplinary hearing of the General Medical Council, Dr Donnachie's barrister said the GP had been combating fearful odds in the area.

Dr Donnache, 52, from Bridge of Weir, had denied serious professional misconduct.

His conduct fell below the standard expected by a competent general practitioner

Zoe Johnson, of the GMC

The medical hearing was told that the doctor's conduct could have led to the drugs being diverted onto the black market.

Zoe Johnson, representing the GMC, said his conduct "fell below the standard expected by a competent general practitioner and was potentially putting his patients at risk".

Ms Johnson said Dr Donnachie had assured prescribing advisers that he would address his prescription methods.

'Fearful odds'

He was given a computer for dealing with repeat prescriptions, "but he took no advantage of this particular piece of equipment".

Dr Donnachie had been working on his own in the Gorbals at the time, an area which Ms Johnson said "suffers from the sadly familiar symptoms of deprivation, social problems, violence, drug and alcohol misuse and patients with mental problems".

Ms Johnson told the hearing his prescribing was "irresponsible, particularly in regard to potentially addictive drugs to vulnerable patients many of whom were already drug users".

Dr Donnachie first came to the attention of prescribing advisers in 1992, who in turn referred him to the GMC after they failed to solve the problem.

His barrister, Phillip Gaisford, told the hearing: "He really was having to combat pretty fearful odds."

Dr Donnachie was given a formal warning about his conduct.