Wyoming Pharmacist Chun Wah Wong found guilty of professional misconduct

A Central Coast pharmacist caught with his hands in the “unwanted” medication bin has been found guilty of professional misconduct and unsatisfactory professional conduct.

A former Wyoming pharmacist has been found guilty of misconduct after taking medications home from the “unwanted” bin. Picture: iStock

A Wyoming pharmacist caught taking medication from the “unwanted” bin has had his registration cancelled.

Chun Wah Wong has been found guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct and professional misconduct by the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

The finding follows a complaint from the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) against Mr Wong while he was working at Bowens Pharmacy Wyoming in January 2020.

The complaint, originally made to the Pharmacy Council, alleged that on January 21 2020 Mr Wong removed Lyzalon 300mg capsules and a prescription-only drug from the Return of Unwanted Medicines (RUM) bin.

The bin is designed for customers to safely return unwanted medications.

Mr Wong was seen removing the capsules from packaging, placing the capsules in a vial before putting them in his bag.

The man worked at Bowens Pharmacy in Wyoming for six months before his employment was terminated.

He allegedly told a pharmacy assistant words to the effect of “why would I do that when I can get them for free?”

However, following the complaint, he stated that this quote was referring to a Netflix show he was able to access for free.

The tribunal heard that Mr Wong was also found to have provided misleading information to the Pharmacy Council.

“It is uncontroversial that I did take a few rubbish tablets returned by customers,” he wrote in a statement detailed in the tribunal’s decision.

He initially advised the council that he returned the drugs to another pharmacy, did not consume the drugs and had no time to consult a doctor.

He later indicated he took the drugs to have them on hand to help him sleep due to an increased workload at the pharmacy before saying he destroyed the drugs.

The facts of the case state that Mr Wong was first registered as a pharmacist in 2017 after studying pharmacy at the University of Sydney.

He worked at Chemist Warehouse in Chatswood, Clemton Park Priceline and was employed at Bowens Pharmacy Wyoming for around six months until his employment was terminated.

Example of a Return Unwanted Medicines bin. Picture: Mike Knott

Mr Wong did not attend and was not represented during the hearing in January 2023 where the tribunal heard from a witness, psychiatrist and pharmacist.

They were also played CCTV files from Bowens Pharmacy in Wyoming showing Mr Wong “rummaging through a bin for a number of minutes, before removing a dose-aid roll from the bin and disappearing from the view”.

Another file showed Mr Wong putting a pill container into his backpack.

In its decision on February 3, the tribunal found that Mr Wong was not competent to practise and or hold a registration.

The tribunal cancelled Mr Wong’s registration and imposed a non-review period of two years.