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Controversial GP Rhys Cullen has been struck off as a doctor for prescribing large amounts of a common cold medicine used to make the drug P.
The Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal found Cullen guilty of professional misconduct two months ago for over-prescribing 80,000 tablets of Sudomyl, which contains pseudoephedrine, the main ingredient in methamphetamine.
Cullen said the 80,000 tablets were part of a research project, but the tribunal found the amount of drugs the GP was prescribing was inappropriate.
The Herald on Sunday can reveal the tribunal has decided Cullen will be struck from the medical register and could be fined anywhere up to $30,000, once legal costs are added.
However, the tribunal has been unable to find Cullen, and he cannot be officially struck off as a doctor until the legal papers are served.
Lawyers representing Cullen left midway through the week-long hearing in October and the Papakura GP was forced to represent himself.
His explanation for the unusual amounts of the prescribed drug was that he was researching a book on racism in medicine.
An affidavit from the tribunal's Professional Conduct Committee showed that from October 2006 to February 2007 Cullen prescribed 38,140 tablets, and that sometimes the same person was prescribed twice in a single day.
This compared with the five other doctors in the area who prescribed a total of 425 tablets for the same period.
As a consequence, the Medical Council had "very real and grave concerns" about the safety of the public from Cullen's ongoing prescriptions of the drug, according to the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal.
He also disregarded an Auckland High Court order forbidding him from prescribing the drug four days after it was made, something Justice David Baragwanath said he could not ignore.
In February, the Herald on Sunday revealed Cullen was investigated by the police after prescribing about 46,000 tablets of Sudomyl between January 2003 and December 2004.
Subsequently, Crown Law made an official complaint to the Medical Council.
Tribunal registrar Gay Fraser confirmed Cullen would be struck from the medical register. She expected the full decision and penalty to be made public when he has been told.
The Herald on Sunday was also unable to contact Cullen for comment.
