Central Coast Dental Care owner Dr Peter Buys guilty of misconduct
Central Coast Dental Care dentist Peter Buys has been found guilty of misconduct after inappropriately prescribing drugs and in one instance handing a patient their Oxycodone prescription with a bottle of wine.
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The owner of Central Coast Dental Care, which operates Lisarow Dental Care and Wyong Dental Care, has been found guilty of inappropriately prescribing drugs.
Dr Peter Buys appeared at the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal in April over complaints lodged to the Health Care Complaints Commission.
The findings state that Dr Buys inappropriately prescribed drugs of addiction, failed to secure drugs appropriately and failed to maintain a drug register.
The tribunal found that in a three-year period, Dr Buys prescribed more than 800 Ondansetron tablets, commonly used for nausea, which are rare in dental treatment.
According to an expert report tabled to the tribunal, the “sheer quantum of the scheduled medications prescribed over this three-year period is almost not comprehensible for use in a dental setting”.
On another occasion he handed a patient an Oxycodone prescription in a bag with a bottle of wine. The pair can be fatal if taken together in large quantities.
Dr Buys was also found guilty of failing to make and keep appropriate clinical notes, failing to record the issue of prescriptions and issuing prescriptions in the name of the dental practice.
The Civil and Administrative Tribunal decision states that between February 2007 and September 2016, Dr Buys stored “drugs of addiction in a locked desk drawer” where staff members knew the location of the key.
Between May 2013 and June 2016, the Tribunal found that Dr Buys prescribed approximately 844 tablets of Ondansetron in his own name or the practice’s name for “general practice use in circumstances where the use of Ondansetron in a dental setting is exceedingly rare.”
He was also found to have provided drugs to members of his family on a number of occasions.
The Tribunal also found Dr Buys prescribed:
■ 250 tablets of Alprazolam between May 17 2013 — January 3 2014
■ 200 tablets of Lorazepam between July 26 2014 — July 16 2015
■ 80 tablets of Oxycodone between July 22 2013 — July 9 2014
■ 50 tablets of Alprazolam on March 14 2013
■ 300 tablets of Diazepam between June 20 2014 — November 26 2015
In another incident in 2014 he arranged for an Oxycodone prescription to be posted in the mail. He also failed to make written records of the supply of Oxycodone for a number of patients.
The Tribunal decision refers to eleven patients with complaints ranging from prescribing drugs over the phone, prescribing drugs without consulting with patients’ doctors and picking up prescriptions on behalf of patients from the local pharmacy.
During the proceedings, Dr Buys represented himself and relied on a document titled Prescribing Policy for Pain Relief which he said represented his approach.
He indicated the best form of pain relief is to treat the underlying cause and that all patients should be given appropriate pain relief rather than endure unnecessary pain.
He said while this usually involved Ibuprofen or Paracetamol, if this did not work Panadeine Forte was appropriate along with opiates for more severe pain. He stated “low-dose Oxycodone is not dangerous” within recommended dose levels.
The Tribunal outlined the serious nature of Dr Buys’ behaviour stating “the pervasive and substantial failure of the respondent to make a record of the issue of prescriptions for drugs of addiction for each of the patients as detailed in the particulars of the complaints is a serious matter”.
Attempts by the Express Advocate to contact Dr Buys have been unsuccessful.
A staff member from Lisarow Dental Care said Dr Buys was still practising at the centre however was off for six weeks after breaking his ankle.
The Tribunal will determine “protective orders” during stage two of the proceedings at a date yet to be set.