Pharmacists fired after ministry's cold-pill probe

The ministry said that four pharmacists would be fired, while two other hospital staff, including the director of Uttaradit’s Thong Saen Khan Hospital, were under serious investigation for disciplinary misdemeanours.
Twenty-three others were punished for non-serious disciplinary violations. No other executives or senior ministerial officials were implicated by the probe.
The four pharmacists fired for serious disciplinary violations were from Udon Thani, Thong Saen Khan and Kamalapisai hospitals, and Chiang Mai’s Hot Hospital.
The investigation covered Udon Thani Hospital, Si Sa Ket’s Phusing, Kalasin’s Kamalapisai, Nong Bua Lamphu’s Na Klang, Buri Ram’s Nong Khee, Uttaradit’s Thong Saen Khan, Chiang Mai’s Hot and Doi Lor, and Lampang’s Serm Ngam hospitals.
Deputy permanent secretary for Public Health Sopon Mekthon said the results of the investigation would go to the ministry’s civil-service subcommittee on September 27 for finalising.
Dr Phaijit Worajit, Public Health Ministry permanent secretary, said the subcommittee’s decision would also be submitted to the Department of Special Investigation’s criminal investigation over the missing pills. Meanwhile, the ministry would ask the Finance Ministry to assess the damages and those responsible, in order to file civil lawsuits, Phaijit said.
A total of 12 million pills worth about Bt15 million went missing. Of these, the largest number – 7 million pills – went missing from Udon Thani Hospital, which would face the largest civil suit, said Phaijit.