TWO doctors were punished following disciplinary inquiries, the Singapore Medical Council said on Friday.
In the first incident, Yip Chee Wei, a general practitioner at Yip Family Clinic in Yishun, pleaded guilty to 15 charges of misconduct for dispensing hypnotic drugs (benzodiazepines) and cough mixtures containing codeine.
Benzodiazepines and cough mixtures containing codeine are two types of common medication that are abused by patients, the Council said in a statement.
The Ministry of Health had implemented guidelines in 2002 with regard to these medications to prevent such substance abuse.
A first time offender, Dr Yip was suspended from practice for six months, censured and fined $5,000.
In another incident, Lee Geok Hwa Michele Anne, a general practice locum who worked in various clinics, pleaded guilty to one charge of professional misconduct.
The proceedings arose from a complaint lodged by the Ministry of Manpower to the Council that Dr Lee had claimed to have carried out pregnancy screenings on her foreign domestic worker when she had in fact failed to do so.
