Mohammad Sharier: Doctor at Gentle Procedures Clinic Revesby mistook opioid for kids panadol

A doctor left a six-day old baby in intensive care after they were given a potentially fatal opioid dose - which he mistook for children’s Panadol - following a medical procedure.

Circumcision doctor from Revesby Mohammad Sharier appeared before Bankstown Local Court.

A doctor left a six-day-old baby in intensive care after he mistakenly provided a potentially fatal opioid dose instead of children’s panadol following a circumcision surgery on the newborn.

Mohammad Sharier, 45, appeared before Bankstown Local Court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to failing to keep a separate register of drugs of addiction; not storing drugs of addiction separate; and secure and supplying a poison that is not packaged in accordance with the poisons standard.

Documents tendered to court state Sharier performed a circumcision on a six-day-old child at the Gentle Procedures Clinic in Revesby in March, where he drew up what he thought was children’s paracetamol into an unlabelled syringe for the child’s parents.

The baby’s mother gave her baby the syringe and 30 minutes later her child became “drowsy and would not feed”.

“Sharier had provided the child with a potentially fatal dose of Oxycodone instead of children’s paracetamol. Oxycodone is an opioid and is a highly addictive and regulated drug,” the facts state.

Circumcision doctor from Revesby Mohammad Sharier appeared before Bankstown Local Court.

The parents rushed their baby to Liverpool Hospital’s emergency department where the child was given two doses of intranasal Naloxone – a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose.

The baby spent the night in intensive care and was discharged the following day.

Pharmaceutical investigators conducted an inspection at the clinic two days later and found in the procedure room two bottles of medication sitting next to each other – children’s panadol and a bottle of OxyNorm – Oxycodone liquid.

“Investigators found Sharier did not have a drug register on the premises and the drug safe was not fixed to the wall as required and was filled with cardboard boxes,” the facts state.

According to the Poison and Therapeutic Goods Regulation, a registered practitioner must ensure any poisons are packaged and labelled correctly, stored and locked away in a separate room, safe, cupboard or other receptacle and have either a digital or physical drug registry.

Sharier’s lawyer said the incident was a “Swiss cheese effect and everything that went wrong did”.

“He has struggled with the mistake and not forgiven himself and those are sincere and genuine words,” he said.

Mr Farrow said his client had only good intentions as he believed he was providing paracetamol to help the parents.

“He has accepted responsibility for not storing the bottle safely and providing a dosage in the syringe … and being a father himself he feels remorse in the truest way.”

Sharier has since disposed all schedule eight medications, surrendered his schedule eight prescribing authority and has reviewed guidelines to educate himself.

Magistrate Jennifer Giles said the incident was “every professional’s nightmare” and was a “serious lapse in judgment”.

“You’re in a position of trust because the parents couldn’t exercise any judgement about anything they’re given as they’re totally reliant on what you say,” she said.

“It was negligent because you didn’t look at the bottle labels … and I don’t doubt you don’t go back through it every minute of every day.”

Sharier was convicted of all charges and fined $500 to be paid to NSW Health for supplying a poison that is not packaged in accordance with the poisons standard.

He was also fined a total of $2000 to be paid to NSW Health for failing to keep a separate register of drugs of addiction and Not store drug of addiction separate and secure.