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A locum pharmacist who took lorazepam from the dispensary at the hospital where he worked without permission has had his suspension extended by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).

George Mwiti Mbwii was originally suspended by a fitness-to-practise committee for four months in June this year after it found he “removed and retained” the drug from Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital in Oswestry, Shropshire, in September 2024, even though he did not have the authority to take it and it had not been prescribed to him.

That suspension expires on October 31 but a principle review hearing earlier this month decided another three-month suspension order was “the proportionate and appropriate outcome to protect the public and to address the public interest”.

Mbwii had been working at the pharmacy for about five weeks at the time of the incident and in its report, the committee noted “he had not been signed off on the accuracy check competency and was completing that competency process”.

The pharmacy ordered a box of 28 tablets of lorazepam 0.5mg for a patient because lorazepam 1mg was out of stock. The pharmacy received the order on September 4, 2024.

Fourteen tablets were dispensed to the patient, leaving 14 tablets in the stock box and “a short audit trail”, the report said. The next morning, a pharmacy technician carried out a stock check and noticed seven tablets of lorazepam 0.5mg were missing.

They checked the pharmacy’s computer system and found no record or other evidence that lorazepam 0.5mg had been dispensed, except for the 14 tablets for the patient.

The committee heard Mbwii carried out a final accuracy check at 8.43am. At 9.14am, the technician asked the team if anyone had seen the missing lorazepam.

Mbwii, who was in the dispensary at the time, did not answer. The report noted the matter was “escalated” to the medicines safety officer, who authorised a review of the department’s CCTV.

The footage showed Mbwii in the dispensary removing a strip of tablets from the stock box and placing it into his top shirt pocket. 

Manage extreme anxiety arising from trauma

When he was interviewed about the footage later that morning by the hospital’s chief pharmacist Fiona Bevan and assistant chief nurse Lisa Newton, and asked if he knew anything about it, he replied he “might do”. When told about the CCTV footage, he did not deny putting the tablets in his pocket.

When asked if he still had the tablets, he removed the strip from his top shirt pocket and placed it into a tray. The committee heard Mbwii had been taking lorazepam “for some time to manage extreme anxiety arising from trauma experienced when he was younger”.

“He said his GP had refused to prescribe him anything, that therapy was ‘useless’, or words to that effect, and that he usually obtained his supply from Africa,” the report said.

“He said he was waiting for a supply to arrive in the post and needed medication in the interim to manage his symptoms.”

The committee heard Mbwii “was distressed and broke down in tears” during the interview and was suspended “immediately” by Bevan, who told him “the matter would be referred to the police and the GPhC” and offered support, which he declined.

“Ms Bevan and Ms Newton established that he did not appear to be at risk of self-harm. Later that day, the registrant messaged Ms Bevan to say that he had arrived home safely,” the report said.

During this month’s hearing, the committee concluded Mbwii’s fitness to practise “remained impaired by reason of his misconduct on both public protection and public interest grounds”.

Genuine remorse and regret for his action

It said he had taken some “positive steps”, such as attending the latest hearing, giving evidence and engaging with the GPhC, “which were different from the position at the principal hearing in June 2026”.

The committee also said he had shown “genuine remorse and regret for his action during his oral evidence” and “saw his behaviour as wrong and unacceptable”.

“The registrant had clearly stated that his behaviour was ‘unethical’”, the report said. “The registrant stated in evidence that the proceedings, findings against him and the suspension imposed had been very difficult personally and professionally, but were right, and this was a situation of his own making,” it added.

“The registrant described deep shame for his actions and that the results of his actions would act as a deterrent against any recurrence.”

Imposing a three-month suspension, the committee said Mbwii “was at the beginning of his journey towards having full insight into his actions and their impact”.