A BENARTY Medical Centre office manager repeatedly forged prescriptions to fuel her painkiller tablet addiction, a Court has heard.

A BENARTY Medical Centre office manager repeatedly forged prescriptions to fuel her painkiller tablet addiction, a Court has heard.

Deborah Thow (38), of Droverhall Place, Crossgates, was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work for the “extremely serious offences” which took place between 11th May and 13th June last year while she was working at Benarty Medical Centre, in Lochore.

The Court heard that Thow, who now is employed by Ladbrokes, created a fraudulent scheme to obtain co-codamol and without authority from a medical practitioner; in that she did generate a quantity of repeat prescriptions, print and sign the prescriptions using the name of a medical practitioner in the name of a patient and present them to employees of Dunfermline’s Asda Pharmacy, on Halbeath Road, and Johnston’s Pharmacy, on Station Road, Cardenden.

Depute fiscal, Dev Kapadia, told Dunfermline Sheriff Court last Wednesday that Thow, who took up to 30 tablets of co-codamol a day, had previously been suspended from her job in 2012 following an incident where she obtained a box of co-codamol by means of false prescription and the matter was dealt with internally and she was given a final warning.

The Court heard that on May 11th last year Thow attended the Asda Pharmacy, on Halbeath Road, handing over the prescription in the name of a patient for two boxes of co-codamol which were dispensed and which the accused took possession of.

She further attended on 7th June in the name of the same man to obtain the drug. On 13th June Thow attended Johnston’s Pharmacy, in Cardenden, where she said a box of co-codamol hadn’t been ordered for the stock order and, because she was recognised as an employee of the practice, the medication was released on stock order from the pharmacy.

Suspicions over Thow’s actions were raised at the pharmacy and Benarty Medical Practice were contacted.

Mr Kapadia continued, “It was established that the accused was not authorised to request co-codamol by stock order and had not been acting on behalf of the practice.” Thow’s agent Ian Beatson said, “My client has had Crohn’s disease and was prescribed co-codamol for a large amount of time.

“She was desperate and because of her addiction that she committed this offence.

“She is 38 years old and is a first offender.This matter has brought difficulties with her relationship with her husband.

“She was taking about 20 to 30 tablets a day while the prescribed number is eight and it was affecting her physically and mentally.

“She advises me she is clear of them and she is regretful of what she has done.” Sheriff Charles Macnair said, “These were extremely serious offences while you were in a position of trust and you abused that trust.” Sheriff Charles Macnair ordered Thow to complete the 200 hours of unpaid work.