Medical practitioner reprimanded and suspended for six months

20 May 2021

A tribunal has found that a general practitioner engaged in professional misconduct for inappropriate prescribing, failing to keep adequate records and failing to provide adequate healthcare to patients.

On 10 August 2020, the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (the tribunal) found that Dr Meng How (Stephen) Leow had engaged in professional misconduct in relation to:

• prescribing pseudoephedrine for two patients (BC and CK) as well as their clinical management and inadequate medical records during the period April 2014 to November 2015, and
• failing to exercise proper medical judgment, keep adequate records and refer for specialist advice and/or treatment of a further 14 patients over the period from July 2011 to April 2017.

The tribunal made findings of fact in accordance with the Statement of Agreed Facts.

On 10 August, the tribunal accepted the parties’ joint proposal for sanction and:

• reprimanded Dr Leow
• suspended his registration for six months, and
• imposed conditions on Dr Leow’s registration which:
  • prohibit his access to pseudoephedrine and zolpidem tartrate
  • limit him to supervised practice, with a Board-approved registered practitioner
  • need him to submit to audits of his practice, and
  • need him to successfully complete a program of education, approved by the Board and including a reflective practice report.

A review period of 12 months has been set for the conditions.

The tribunal also ordered Dr Leow to pay the Board’s legal costs.

Read the tribunal’s decision on the AustLII website.