Lisarow: Former Chemist Outlet pharmacist Shilo Wannell who `lost’ Schedule 8 drugs found guilty

A former Central Coast chemist “lost” opioids, prescribed drugs to a close relative on methadone and stockpiled colleagues’ prescription labels as “insurance” against a “toxic” workplace.

Pharmacist Shilo Wannell was found guilty of professional misconduct during her time at Lisarow Chemist Outlet between 2014-2019. Picture: Google

A former Lisarow chemist has narrowly avoided having her registration as a pharmacist cancelled after being found guilty of professional and unsatisfactory conduct.

Shilo Wannell was found guilty of two complaints last week after the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) took the 42-year-old pharmacist to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

The tribunal found Wannell failed to report the loss of methadone and oxycodone on six occasions, failed to conduct compulsory inventory checks for methadone three times and dispensed diazepam — better known under the brand name Valium — 15 times to a close personal relative who she knew was already on the methadone program.

Wannell was also found to have made multiple entries in the drug register which were illegible, incorrect, incomplete or misleading and made a number of adjustments to the register without recording a sufficient or any explanation whatsoever.

A search of her home also uncovered printed pharmacy labels for the personal prescriptions of some of her colleagues at her home which she said were for “insurance” in case any of her fellow employees blamed her for anything.

Pharmacist Shilo Wannell was found guilty of professional misconduct during her time at Lisarow Chemist Outlet between 2014-2019. Picture: Google

The tribunal found Wannell breached her professional responsibilities while working at Lisarow Chemist Outlet between November 2014 and January 2019 when she “lost” Schedule 8 opioid drugs on six occasions.

These included 332mL of methadone on November 2, 2014, 5mL of methadone on September 18, 2015, 278mL of methadone on July 28, 2015, 20 Oxycodone 5mg tablets on March 30, 2017, 28x Targin 10/5g tablets on March 30, 2017, and 16 OxyContin 30mg tablets on June 24, 2017.

Wannell was found guilty of prescribing diazepam (Valium) to a close relative who was already on the methadone program. (File image)

The tribunal heard Wannell had been a registered pharmacist since 2007 after graduating from the University of Newcastle in 2005 with a Master of Pharmacy.

It heard Wannell suffered an ischaemic stroke in 2015, aged 35, which resulted in paralysis of the right side, speech, and memory loss but was able to gradually return to work three months later.

The tribunal found she failed to conduct compulsory inventory checks for methadone in March and September 2016, and September 2017.

She told the tribunal she was not the only pharmacist with this responsibility and had request the shops’ management that the checks be conducted by someone else.

However the tribunal found given she was the pharmacist in charge at the time, it was up to her to ensure inventory checks were done by someone, if not herself.

Wannell was found guilty of unsatisfactory and professional misconduct. Picture: iStock

The tribunal found between February 5, 2017 and November 25, 2018 Wannell dispensed 50 diazepam tablets to a close relative on 15 occasions despite knowing the person was on the methadone program.

On January 10, 2019, printed prescription labels were found at Wannell’s home containing the private and confidential information of staff who worked at another Chemist Outlet pharmacy.

She told the tribunal she had the labels at home to provide her with some “protection” and that she needed some “insurance” in the event she was blamed for anything.

She described the working environment as “toxic” but also told the tribunal she had taken the prescriptions home to check them but forgot to return them.

The HCCC applied to have Wannell’s registration cancelled for at least a year but the tribunal ordered she complete 152 hours of supervised practice under another pharmacist within 12 months, undergo an oral examination in pharmacy law and ethics, and not possess, supply, manufacture or dispense any Schedule 4 or 8 “drugs of addiction”.

Wannell was also ordered to undergo a health assessment by the Pharmacy Council of NSW and pay the HCCC’s legal costs.