Man nabbed for prescriptions
A man who produced forged prescriptions to obtain schedule-three medication, was apprehended last Friday, after an observant pharmacist noticed irregularities regarding the issuing of the medication.
LYDENBURG – A man who produced forged prescriptions to obtain schedule-three medication, was apprehended last Friday, after an observant pharmacist noticed irregularities regarding the issuing of the medication.
Mr Thomas Mthombeni from KaNyamazane, made his way to Horizon Pharmacy last Thursday and handed over a script for pain medication to the pharmacist.
According to Capt Alfred Moela, the SAPS spokesman, the pharmacist became suspicious after noticing that the same medication had been issued several days prior.
“He phoned Rob Ferreira Hospital and enquired about the doctor who issued the script. He was informed that the doctor, who apparently wrote the script, had been suspended from the hospital for three weeks.”
The pharmacist told Mthombeni they did not have the required medication in stock and that he should return the following day. “The police were informed and arrested the man when he returned to the pharmacy. In his possession were four other prescriptions made out in four different names.
“We believe that the signatures on the prescriptions were his own. Some of the scrips also had false or invalid doctor and practice registration numbers.
Mthombeni is from Mbombela. He briefly appeared in the Lydenburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday. He was denied bail and will remain in custody until his next court appearance on August 22.
