Nurse Robert James Mackenzie banned from nursing after Goulburn Valley Health theft

A Goulburn Valley Health nurse caught forging Xanax scripts tried to report a fake crime to police that his identity had been stolen in a bid to cover his tracks.

James Mackenzie worked at Goulburn Valley Health. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

A Goulburn Valley Health nurse claimed his identity had been stolen after he was caught forging prescriptions for benzodiazepines.

A tribunal banned Robert Mackenzie, 45, from nursing for six months after learning he stole blank prescription pads from work to fill out false prescriptions in late 2018 and early 2019.

Mr Mackenzie, 45, had already pleaded guilty to 12 related charges in 2021 at Shepparton Magistrates Court, but was spared conviction.

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal heard Mr Mackenzie forged scripts for Alprazolam – commonly known as Xanax – and Lorazepam but was caught after a pharmacist flagged the “suspicious” scripts with his work.

He then made false statements to police, “claiming his identity had been stolen” to cover up his crimes but later went back to tell them he had lied.

Tribunal members Elisabeth Wentworth, Mary Archibald and Marietta Bylhouwer, ruled this initial lie – which he self-reported to the regulator – and forged scripts amounted to professional misconduct.

They heard he resigned from his job and surrendered his registration in 2019, only reapplying to join nursing after criminal proceedings were finalised.

His registration was granted under several conditions including continuing psychiatric treatment and rules on where he can work and what medications he can access.

They noted his remorse, early admissions, acknowledgment he had an addiction and “a demonstrated willingness to seek help and support in periods of relapse”.

Tribunal documents described his behaviour as “an isolated incident stemming from . . particular personal circumstances at the time” and said he “was not considered by the Board as a risk to patient safety provided conditions were imposed on his registration”.

“There were also mitigating factors in this case, including: … a short period of offending followed by no further reported misconduct or offending, favourable reports from treating practitioners,” it said.

The Tribunal also reprimanded Mr Mackenzie in the decision handed down this month, in addition to the six-month suspension.

He will be allowed to return to nursing late August this year.