Doctor to be sentenced after forging Viagra prescriptions – all for himself

We heard in October of this year how a clumsy patient attempted to forge a Viagra prescription – and inevitably failed after stupidly writing “100ml” instead of the correct dosage of 100mg.

However, shockingly it has come to light that a doctor has been forging his own prescriptions for the widely used erectile dysfunction medication. The reason? He was too embarrassed to request a prescription for the drug from his own GP, a court has heard.

Dr Mansoor Kassim, 37, of Ilford, Essex, was enduring problems in his marriage during the time when he produced fake Viagra prescriptions, which were tallied up to total £340.67.

Dr Kassim conjured up fictitious names – such as ‘Ravi Kumar’ – of both doctors and patients that supposedly were in need of the anti-impotence medication, known as ‘the little blue pill’ to millions around the world who take it.

After this, Dr Kassim went along to a local chemist with the intention of collecting the tablets for his own personal use.

As Dr Kassim actually worked within a trauma and orthopaedic unit, where patients usually wouldn’t require or be prescribed erectile dysfunction drugs. This immediately triggered suspicions amongst staff at the chemist.

Handwriting experts were drafted in by health officials and it was established than the stolen prescription scripts were all filled in by the same person – Dr Kassim.

The court at Caerphilly was told Dr Kassim was working as a senior doctor on the verge of becoming a consultant at the time he illegally obtained the Viagra; the offences occurred between the time of February 25 and October 24 this year. He was employed by the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, working at Ystrad Fawr Hospital at Caerphilly, South Wales.

The doctor could now face being struck off and will soon have to attend a hearing with the General Medical Council (GMC); the independent regulator for doctors in the UK.

Chairman of the bench David Wall told Dr Kassim: “These are serious allegations. You were in a high position of trust. We don’t feel we can deal with the matter without further investigation.”
The doctor has been freed on bail until next month, when he will receive his sentence.

Martyn Edwards, head of counter fraud with Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, said: “The NHS and the public in general are entitled to expect the highest levels of integrity from clinicians. In this instance, the conduct of Dr Kassim fell far short of those expectations. The NHS has absolutely no tolerance for dishonest abuse of a position of trust of this nature.”

Defending Dr Kassim, David Welch said: “He had marital difficulties which led him to seek out the medication. Dr Kassim was embarrassed to admit his problem to another doctor and so faked the prescriptions himself. He’s said this is the most stupid thing he’s done in his entire life. He’s now seeking counselling to look at really why he did what he did, given so much that was put at risk.”

However, self-prescribing via forged prescriptions could be viewed as indefensible and stupid simultaneously, especially in the 21^st century when any male suffering with impotence problems can quickly go onto the internet to a fully-registered and legitimate online pharmacy to obtain Viagra, following an online consultation of course with a doctor registered with the GMC. It saves any potential embarrassment of a face-to-face visit with your own GP, with the medication arriving the next day (within the UK) to a destination of your choice, whether this be at home or your place of work.

Forged Viagra prescription lands conman with fine and suspended prison sentence

A clumsy man learned the hard way that forging prescriptions does not pay, although his careless actions landed him with £85 costs, a £80 victim surcharge and he was also sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for a year.

Mahfooz Ulhaq, 45, of Aspley Park Drive, Aspley, attempted to add the popular erectile dysfunction medication Viagra to his two prescriptions for other drugs. The somewhat ludicrous mistakes made it immediately obvious though that something was suspicious to the sceptical pharmacists.

Not only had Ulhaq tried to scribble something resembling his doctor’s handwriting – and failing miserably – but he had comically misspelt Viagra and had actually scribbled “100ml” instead of the correct dosage of 100mg. As most people know, Viagra is manufactured in a tablet form, shaped like a diamond, and is often referred to as ‘the little blue pill’.

Falsifying prescriptions for prescription-only medication is no laughing matter however, and Ulhaq’s suspended prison sentence reflects this.

Ulhaq stood up in the dock at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court and admitted the two charges of making false prescriptions with the intention of gaining pharmaceutical drugs.

Neil Hollett, prosecuting, described how Ulhaq had first attempted to obtain the drugs from the City Hospital’s outpatients’ pharmacy and failing that, then from a nearby Boots pharmacy.

“On the first occasion a member of staff brought to the attention of the pharmacist that the defendant was back to collect some medication he already had,” he said.

“They could see the doctor’s handwriting had been overwritten and other medication added on the prescription. It also contained spelling errors. It was shown to the doctor who had prescribed it and found to be fraudulently altered.”

Mr Hollett also commented how another member of staff had said Ulhaq asked for disguised bottles to be used in the dispending of his medication as ‘he didn’t want his family knowing what he was diagnosed with’.

The second attempted acquisition of Viagra saw Ulhaq drop off a prescription and say he would be back the next day to collect his medication.

However, upon closer inspection of the prescription given by Ulhaq, the member of staff noticed a glaring error – it stated 100ml instead of 100mg (an actual Viagra dosage). “They believed it had been altered”, said Mr Hollett.

The next day when Ulhaq returned to collect his medication he was met with a firm refusal after the prescribing doctor had confirmed suspicions that the inclusion of Viagra had indeed been falsified.
Unsurprisingly, Ulhaq was arrested, admitting to police he had written on both prescriptions but bizarrely claimed he had no intention of getting the Viagra.

His excuse was flimsy at best, claiming he had lost another prescription and had written on those ones to remind himself what had been on there.

Chris Brewin, in mitigation, said: “Mr Ulhaq is extremely unwell. He has spinal problems which affect his mobility. Daily life for Mr Ulhaq is extremely difficult. He was prescribed Viagra but what happened was the separate prescription became soiled, and the solution was to add Viagra to another prescription. He knows this was wrong. He is very disappointed to find himself back before the court.”

Magistrate Patricia Boyce-Forgenie concluded: “It is very serious. You are on a lot of medication and do not know how Viagra would have interacted with the other medication. It was very risky thing to do.”