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A prominent Auckland doctor faces a professional misconduct charge for allegedly prescribing more than 46,000 tablets of a drug used to make methamphetamine.
The case against Papakura-based GP Rhys Michael Cullen can now be revealed after the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal declined his applications for name suppression and to have the proceedings struck out.
The Dominion Post reported that Dr Cullen faces charges alleging he wrote at least 790 prescriptions for more than 46,000 pseudoephedrine-based Sudomyl tablets, between in 2003 and 2004, without medical or clinical justification.
It said he wrote prescriptions for Sudomyl in the names of people who were not patients and that he obtained Sudomyl for his own supply, breaching pharmaceutical rules.
A police investigation file against Dr Cullen remains open but no criminal charges have been laid.
It said Dr Cullen had "apparently" given an undertaking not to prescribe Sudomyl until the charge was resolved.
Dr Cullen, who represented himself at the hearing, said he would fight the charges.
- NZPA
