BMJ  2004;329:818 (9 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7470.818-d

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Seven doctors accused of failing to monitor health of addicted patients

London Owen Dyer

Seven doctors from a private addiction clinic were accused this week by the General Medical Council of prescribing too many drugs and of failing to adequately monitor their patients’ health.

Dr Colin Brewer, now retired, and his former colleagues at the Stapleford Centre, based in London and Essex, are also accused of failing to ensure that patients took the drugs themselves, rather than selling them on.

In addition, Dr Brewer is accused of seeking to interfere with potential witnesses to the GMC’s Professional Conduct Committee. It is alleged that he wrote to Professor John Strang of the National Addiction Centre and Dr Susan Ruben of the Liverpool Drug Dependency Clinic, urging them to withdraw expert reports for the GMC that criticised two other doctors from the Stapleford Centre.

The case against the seven began in February, but was immediately adjourned to October because Dr Brewer was ill . . . [Full text of this article]


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Relevant Article

Seven doctors accused of over-prescribing heroin
Owen Dyer
BMJ 2004 328: 483. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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