Pharmacist who illegally sold painkillers avoids jail

Terrence Wong, also known as Park Ung Wong sold prescription medication to a known drug addict. Photo / Getty

An Auckland pharmacist who falsified a prescription and sold prescription medication to a known drug addict has been sentenced to home detention.

Terrence Wong, 32, appeared in North Shore District Court this morning after pleading guilty to one charge of forgery, three representative charges of creating a criminal nuisance and one charge under the Medicines Act of supplying prescription medication.

According to court documents, from September last year Wong - who ran Birkenhead Avenue Pharmacy - sold zopiclone to customers without authorised prescriptions.

One of the customers was a known drug addict who was on nationwide pharmacy alert to prevent him from getting zopiclone.

The drug is a sedative often prescribed to insomniacs and causes a tranquilisation of the central nervous system.

The pharmacist, also known as Park Ung Wong, also unlawfully provided paracetamol and codeine medication.

Paracetamol helps to block the nerves that transmit pain impulses to the brain, while codeine helps to reduce the brain's awareness of those impulses.

Judge Lawrence Hinton sentenced Wong to 10 months' home detention and 200 hours community service.

Judge Hinton took into consideration a $30,000 reparation payment Wong offered to the family of a man who died from an overdose from medication bought from the pharmacist but said it was simply a factor in the man's death.