Chemist's texts too intimate

He was in his 60s, with a chemist shop in the mall. They were young women working in the nearby hair salon.

Now, the married pharmacist faces a fine and could be struck off for sending inappropriate text messages to the three hairdressers.

Sending intimate text messages, known as "sexting", is more often the domain of the young. But this week, the Waikato pharmacist admitted sending the texts and making inappropriate comments and gestures to the trio over four years.

He began calling one woman in 2004 and, despite a police warning after he drove her out of her job, he continued texting two more women who worked at the hair salon.

The man admitted misconduct when he appeared before the committee of the pharmacy council for the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal on Friday.

The tribunal has imposed interim suppression of his name, and any details that could identify him.

Matthew McClelland, for the tribunal, told the committee the incidents took place between April 2004 and November 2008. He said they were a breach of industry standards including the pharmacy code of ethics, amounted to malpractice or negligence and have brought discredit to the profession.

Two of the woman contacted the police because of his behaviour, and one sought a trespass order against him.

In the first instance, the pharmacist asked an employee of the woman for her phone number.

During three unsolicited calls he made inappropriate and unprofessional comments of a personal nature. His behaviour resulted in warnings and a police complaint but the woman felt so unsafe she transferred to another salon.

Then, between December 2006 and August 2007, he sent at least nine unsolicited text messages to another woman in the salon. He obtained her cellphone number because she had been a customer at the pharmacy.

That woman also reported the pharmacist to the police.

About a year later the pharmacist targeted another woman, asking for her cellphone number when she was getting a prescription for the morning-after pill. He later sent her an inappropriate text.

The woman obtained a trespass notice against him.

Helen Brown, for the tribunal, said it was concerning his conduct escalated despite being warned. "The language and nature of the communications was highly personal and suggestive.

"All three women felt uncomfortable, threatened and vulnerable."

Defence lawyer John Haigh QC said his client's actions were "misguided and unthinking".

"In each instance, when asked to desist from his behaviour he did so. He never intended to harm or distress any of these young women."

Haigh argued his client should be fined and censured instead of being struck off. The committee is expected to make a decision in three weeks.

anna.rushworth@hos.co.nz