Ministry of Health revokes licence of Sharjah psychiatrist for prescribing psychotropic drugs to patients

After receiving a tip off from Sharjah Police, an inspection team from the ministry investigated the private clinic in Sharjah

The Ministry of Health revoked the licence of a psychiatrist in the UAE for prescribing psychotropic drugs to patients. Courtesy: MoHP

The Ministry of Health has revoked the licence of a psychiatrist in the UAE for prescribing psychotropic drugs to patients who did not require them.

After receiving a tip off from the anti-narcotics department at Sharjah Police, an inspection team from the ministry looked into a number of claims made against the private clinic in Sharjah.

A joint investigation between the police and ministry revealed that a number of people, aged between 20 and 30, regularly visited the clinic to collect prescriptions for controlled medicines.

A health official also visited the premises under the guise of a patient and was sent away with a number of medications prescribed by the doctor.

The team found that the man was trying to push a number of controlled medicines on to patients, despite no underlying health issues to warrant such prescriptions.

As a result, the committee decided to revoke the doctor’s licence and remove his name from the medical registry in the UAE. He was also arrested by Sharjah Police.

If not administered with extreme care, the long-term use of psychotropic drugs can often lead to addiction.

For years, the ministry has been working to develop laws and legislations that regulate the practice of medical professions in the country.

It regularly dispatches teams to inspect health care facilities across the UAE to make sure they abide by the medical ethics and rules, at both local and international levels.

Those found to be violating the rules face severe penalties including having medical practice licences revoked, hefty penalties and in some cases, jail time.

After the latest incident, the ministry warned the public against circulating any false information which is not officially issued by the ministry or other health authorities.

It also urged residents to report any medical malpractices by calling the toll free number 80011111, or via the email: [e-mail].