A Northern Territory court has struck off a dentist who doled out drugs to himself and to family members. According to court documents from the NT Civil and Administrative tribunal, Dr Desmond Worboys will be banned from registering as a dentist for a year. The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency received a notification in March 2016 that Dr Worboys had prescribed benzodiazepines — highly addictive tranquillisers — to a family member. An investigation by the Dental Board of Australia found Dr Worboys had written out up to 65 prescriptions for benzos for a family member between September 2011 and July 2016. The investigation found he had also issued up to 69 prescriptions for antibiotics to a family member and 15 prescriptions for paracetamol and codeine. All of those prescriptions were filled. Dr Worboys was also found to have issued prescriptions in his own name for benzos and antibiotics. The dentist did not present to AHPRA treatment records in relation to the family member when requested. The family member whose name the prescriptions were in said they “could not recall” being prescribed benzodiazepines by Dr Worboys. In November 2016, the DBA banned Dr Worboys from prescribing medication as it found he “posed a serious risk” to people.
