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A South Auckland pharmacist who admitted making fraudulent claims worth nearly $220,000 has lost his right to practise.
The Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal last month found Andrew Douglas Pellowe guilty of breaching fitness-to-practise standards, rather than the lower professional misconduct charge his lawyer Brent O'Callahan argued for. The tribunal released its decision yesterday, opting to cancel Pellowe's registration - the tribunal's most serious penalty.
Pellowe, owner and operator of Dawson Road Pharmacy in Flat Bush, Manukau City, last year admitted 47 charges brought by the Ministry of Health's business unit HealthPAC of using a document for pecuniary advantage.
Pellowe was sentenced in Manukau District Court in October 2006 to 18 months' imprisonment, which was served by home detention.
He admitted that his pharmacy, which gained substantial income from claiming subsidies from the Counties Manukau District Health Board, sent in 8390 fraudulent claims worth $219,366 between October 2003 and September 2005.
- NZPA
