Dr Tan Joong Piang, a general practitioner who worked at United Medical Practitioners was suspended for 22months after prescribing thousands of sleeping pills to six patients for more than a decade.
A complaint was made against the doctor on Dec 21, 2012 by the Singapore Medical Council for his alleged prescribing pattern for hypnotic drugs such as Dormicum and Diazepam.
The individuals who were prescribed drugs are as stated below.
Patient 1 – 3,290 tablets over a 12 year period (125 prescriptions)
Patient 2 – 4,100 tablets over a 13 year period (142 prescriptions)
Patient 3 – 3,582 tablets over a 12 year period (232 prescriptions)
Patient 4- 1,235 tablets over a 10 year period (59 occasions)
Patient 5 – 1264 tablets over a 10 year period (50 prescriptions)
Patient 6 – 2018 tablets over a 14 year period (123 occasions)
Tan will be suspended for a total of 22 months for the offenses committed. He also has to pay the cost of the proceedings and give a written undertaking not to re-offend.