St Catherine man fined for dispensing drugs without a licence

A St Catherine man who pleaded guilty to dispensing pharmaceutical drugs without a licence was fined $150,000 when he appeared before the parish court on Wednesday. 

He has been identified as John Love, from Spanish Town in St Catherine. 

It was discovered Love had no licence after he was investigated for dispensing expired drugs to a woman earlier this year. 

The incident happened on March 5.

The complainant, who is a pharmacist, visited Love's place of employment to fill a prescription for a five-year-old patient. 

When she got home, she noticed that the expiry date on the medication she was given had passed, but was hidden with covering.

The complainant made a report to her colleagues at the Pharmaceutical Council of Jamaica and an investigation was launched.

Sometime after, the complainant went back to Love's place of employment and returned the expired product for a new set.

At that time, Dave Murphy, the owner and pharmacist of the establishment, told the complainant to hand over the drugs and to advise the council that the matter has been resolved.

He was advised that the inspectors were already present and were observing. The police were called and both men were arrested.

They were subsequently charged following  a question and answer.

Murphy was charged with causing the dispensing of pharmaceutical drugs by a person without a license - he pleaded guilty when he appeared before the court. 

He was then fined $250,000 or six month imprisonment. 

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