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A 47-year-old Halesowen doctor who used a patient's name to make out over 80 prescriptions for himself after becoming hooked on opiate-based drugs has been spared a prison sentence.

Mark McGeown had personal and financial problems and did not want to show "weakness" by seeking help from colleagues at his West Bromwich surgery.

The GP first began self medicating by taking drugs that had been returned by patients, David Morris defending told Wolverhampton Crown Court.

But McGeown became dependent on the drugs and that sent him into a vicious circle where he began using a patient's name to help satisfy his addiction.

The court heard McGeown was rumbled when he took a prescription to a pharmacy and they called his surgery because they could not read the doctor's writing.

McGeown, of Alexandra Court, Halesowen, admitted 12 specimen charges of providing false information to obtain prescriptions and was given a 12 month community order and told to carry out 120 hours unpaid work and pay £2,600 costs.

Judge Michael Challinor told him the principle victim in the offences was himself because he had destroyed his career after being a hard working physician.

He said public confidence was damaged when doctors used patients' names to obtain drugs for themself but he said: "No public good will come from me imprisoning you."

He said McGeown had brought himself before the court because of his reluctance to seek help from his colleagues and said he now faced being struck off by the General Medical Council.

Mr John Evans prosecuting said McGeown made out 86 prescriptions to himself in the patient's name and took forms to a number of pharmacies.

After his arrest he said he had been doing it for almost three years and, because he was an extremely private person, found it hard to admit he had problems and failed to wean himself off the drugs.

Mr Morris said McGeown carried the burden of problems that were emotional and financial and had succumbed to overwork.

As a result stress developed and it was then he began to self-medicate using drugs returned by patients but he then took the wrong decision when he opted to use the prescriptions.

9:25am Friday 9th May 2008

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