A Dundee nurse who altered a personal prescription for a painkiller has received a year’s caution from the profession’s regulatory body.
Carol Elizabeth Cook admitted the breach when she was at the centre for brain injury rehabilitation at Royal Victoria Hospital.
In February last year her doctor prescribed her a painkiller and anti-inflammatory for back and shoulder pain, but she altered the prescription for the painkiller co-codamol from 8/500 to 30/500.
She took it to a Boots chemist where a pharmacist queried the prescription, and she admitted she had altered it.
Mrs Cook reported her actions to her manager and was suspended pending a police and internal investigation.
She was disciplined by NHS Tayside and referred herself to the Nursing and Midwifery Council, and was charged with attempted fraud by Tayside Police. She was not prosecuted, but received a fiscal fine of £300.
The NMC conduct and competence committee found that her dishonest conduct fell below the standards expected of a registered nurse, and she had brought the profession into disrepute.
She had admitted her breach from the outset, but the panel considered it had been a one-off incident in an otherwise unblemished career.
Her actions were also mitigated by her health condition at the time and it was thought unlikely she would repeat her misconduct.
Imposing a year’s caution marked that her behaviour was unacceptable and must not happen again, the judgment said. It was also in the public interest to retain the services of an otherwise conscientious and capable nurse.
A spokeswoman for NHS Tayside said: “This person no longer works for NHS Tayside.”