![\"Google](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0_Downpatrick-Courthouse-2PNG.png\")
Google Street View of Downpatrick Courthouse <\/p>\nIt was established the nurse had used medicines prescribed and dispensed for other patients<\/p>\n
21:37, 09 Jul 2025Updated 09:13, 11 Jul 2025<\/p>\n
Google Street View of Downpatrick Courthouse <\/p>\n
A registered nurse has been fined \u00a38,000 after being found to have unlawfully supplied prescription medication, which included botox and weight loss drugs.<\/p>\n
Nichola Hawes of Groomsport Road, Bangor<\/a>, pleaded guilty to 25 charges at Downpatrick Magistrates Court <\/a>and received the sentence for unlawfully possessing prescription medicines with intent to supply, supplying prescription medicines and fraud by false representation.<\/p>\n It followed a Department of Health Medicines Regulatory Group (MRG) investigation into medicines prescribing and supply activities at Nichola Hawes Aesthetics Clinic in Bangor, Co Down<\/a>. The investigation found that between 2021 and 2022 prescription medicines were prescribed for people without their knowledge or consent.<\/p>\n The DoH says it was also established that Hawes had supplied various medicinal products to clients using medicines prescribed and dispensed for other patients.<\/p>\n Peter Moore, the Medicines Regulatory Group Senior Medicines Enforcement Officer who directed the investigation said: \u201cThis investigation established that a registered Nurse Independent Prescriber operating in the private aesthetics sector unlawfully by-passed the regulated system, put in place to ensure the integrity of the medicines supply chain. Today\u2019s conviction sends a clear message that there are significant consequences for those who choose to act outside the legal and regulated system.<\/p>\n “Following today\u2019s conviction, the matter will now be further referred to the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC), the regulatory and professional body for Nurses in Northern Ireland.\u201d<\/p>\n Aaron McKendry, Interim Head of the Medicines Regulatory Group, added: \u201cThis investigation demonstrates that the public can be assured that those prescribing or supplying prescription medicines to the public in Northern Ireland are subject to Departmental inspection and compliance visits to ensure that they continue to operate safely and within the law. Where that doesn\u2019t occur, we will take effective action where necessary to protect public safety in Northern Ireland.\u201d<\/p>\n In a statement on behalf of Nichola Hawes, Michael Madden of Madden & Finucane said the case showed a legal gap for independent nurses in Northern Ireland, England and Wales and the case did not involve any allegations of harm towards patients.<\/p>\n The statement said: \u201cThe prosecution of Nurse Independent Prescriber Nichola Hawes highlights a major gap in the current legal and regulatory framework governing independent nursing practice in Northern Ireland, England, and Wales.<\/p>\n \u201cNurse Independent Prescribers are authorised to prescribe any prescription-only medicine (POM) and yet, they are prohibited from holding even a single licensed POM, including life saving emergency drugs, as stock in their clinics. This exposes nurses to the prospect of being criminalised for holding stock medicine, even where no harm has occurred. In Scotland, by contrast, nurses working from registered premises are permitted to hold stock medicines under a proper legal framework.<\/p>\n \u201cThis case did not involve any allegation whatsoever of harm being caused to patients.<\/p>\n \u201cThese offences occurred during the difficult post-COVID period, when independent nurse prescribers faced unprecedented medicine shortages and surging patient demand.<\/p>\n \u201cNurse Hawes continues to receive strong support from colleagues, patients, and professional bodies. The court heard from senior clinicians who praised her excellence in care and noted the disparity between Northern Ireland and Scotland\u2019s more progressive approach.<\/p>\n \u201cShe supports the British Association of Medical Aesthetic Nurses (BAMAN) in its campaign for urgent government review of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, to remove the restrictions on stock medicines in nurse-led clinics and recognise the vital role of independent nurse prescribers in patient care.\u201d<\/p>\n Click this link<\/a> or scan the QR code to receive breaking news and top stories from Belfast Live. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don\u2019t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you\u2019re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice<\/a>.<\/p>\n For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage<\/strong> here<\/a> and sign up to our politics newsletter<\/a> here.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It was established the nurse had used medicines prescribed and dispensed for other patients 21:37, 09 Jul 2025Updated…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":56498,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[41396,41397,4219,41398,210,1060,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-56497","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-medication","8":"tag-bangor","9":"tag-co-down","10":"tag-crime","11":"tag-downpatrick","12":"tag-health","13":"tag-medication","14":"tag-united-states","15":"tag-unitedstates","16":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114833916110816960","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56497","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56497"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56497\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56498"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56497"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56497"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/1_WhatsApp-community-QR-code-Belfast1.png\")
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