A 27-year-old employee pharmacist from Belfast has been sentenced to 180 hours of community service after pleading guilty to the unlawful possession and theft of controlled drugs including pregabalin and diazepam in a “blatant abuse” of his position.

Adam Hanna had pleaded guilty at Belfast Magistrates Court to unlawfully possessing pregabalin and diazepam and the theft of those two drugs as well as co-codamol and codeine phosphate in breach of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Theft Act 1969.

The NI Department of Health’s Medicines Regulatory Group (MRG) launched an investigation that revealed Mr Hanna had engaged in these illegal activities from a North Belfast pharmacy where he worked between January and March 2024. 

Canice Ward, head of the MRG, commented: “The Department is committed to taking all possible steps to combat this type of illegal activity wherever it may be occurring.

“This conviction involved the blatant abuse of the privileged position of a pharmacist.

“People can be assured however that pharmacies in Northern Ireland are subject to regular departmental inspection and compliance visits to ensure that they continue to operate safely and within the law.”

MRG senior enforcement officer Peter Moore said: “This investigation established that a pharmacist working within a community pharmacy abused his position of trust to misappropriate and unlawfully possess controlled drugs from his employer.

“Today’s conviction sends a clear message that there are consequences for anyone involving themselves in this type of activity, irrespective of their position or occupation. 

“Following today’s conviction, the matter will now be further referred to the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland, the regulatory body and professional body for pharmacists in Northern Ireland.”

The PSNI website states that Mr Hanna received an 18-month suspension order on April 12 this year.

The regulator has been criticised as failing to progress fitness to practise cases in a timely manner and lacking robust processes for maintaining accurate information. 

In July this year, Belfast Pharmacist Gerard Cullinan received a suspended sentence after pleading to the illegal supply of fentanyl and co-codamol in a period spanning from 2017 to 2020. He has remained under interim suspension since July 2020.