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Locum Hokum

University Diaries has covered, over the years, a number of stories involving medical school professors – especially anesthesiologists – who abuse or become addicted to the pills they handle. Pharmacy professors and students have similar levels of access, and similar problems.

Charles Butler, an eminent British pharmacologist who until recently was a visiting professor at Reading University, has been hoarding and illegally dispensing a zillion drugs. But he has his reasons.

Prof Butler, who was awarded an MBE in 2005 for services to the NHS, pretended he had to hire a locum to cover his absences at a pharmacy practice while he was working as an advisor to a health watchdog.

But police discovered that Prof Butler, an advisor to the Department of Health, had sold his practice years earlier.

During a raid on a flat he owns in Whitechapel, east London, officers also found drugs including cocaine, ecstasy, “crystal meth” and the date-rape drug GHB, which police believe were used during sex parties hosted by the 64-year-old.

… [Butler] claimed almost £175,000 in expenses from the Health Services Commission to pay for a locum at his practice while he was away.

… During the raid on Butler’s second home in London, police found cocaine, ecstasy, methamphetamine, marijuana resin and the “date rape” drugs gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and rohypnol, which are powerful relaxants.

Sedatives including temazapam, diazepam, ketamine and midazolam were also discovered…

Margaret Soltan, March 29, 2010 4:30AM
Posted in: professors

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One Response to “Locum Hokum”

  1. Dave Stone Says:

    There’s nothing so great as a locum.
    He gets drugs so then I can smoke ‘em,
    And get my party guests nude
    Thus more easily screwed.
    How else am I gonna provoke ‘em?

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