Pharmacist "Struck off" following conviction for £76,475 Fraud
Pharmacist Michael Lloyd was removed from the General Pharmaceutical Council Register (GPhC) on 22nd September 2020. This action was taken following a disciplinary hearing undertaken by the GPhC’s fitness to practise committee.
The GPhC had been informed that Lloyd was sentenced to 16 months’ imprisonment at Cardiff Crown Court on 22nd October 2019. Lloyd had pleaded guilty to offences of fraud after being caught submitting false claims to the NHS.
Lloyd former co-director of Llanharan Pharmacy Ltd falsely claimed that he had dispensed more expensive items than the items that were provided to the patients. Lloyd made the false claims from the Pharmacy he managed at Talbot Pharmacy at Heol Y Gyfraith, Talbot Green, Rhondda Cynon Taf. Llanharan Pharmacy Ltd has four other branches in operation that were not linked to the offences committed by Lloyd.
NHS Counter Fraud Service Wales (NHS CFS Wales) investigated the case after concerns were raised by Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board (CTMUHB). CFS Wales established that Lloyd had falsely claimed over 1,500 prescriptions during a 5 year period. The total loss to the NHS was calculated to be £76,475.
Investigations revealed that Lloyd falsely claimed he had dispensed medicines in liquid form to NHS patients when they had in fact received tablets. Drugs for dementia such as Memantine and Donepezil, cost the NHS as little as £3 per prescription in tablet form. However, Lloyd would claim for the more expensive liquid formulation, which sometimes cost the NHS as much as £300 per prescription.
Lloyd had often altered the prescription forms after they had already been endorsed by staff, with the medication that had genuinely been provided to the patients. The evidence showed that Lloyd had crossed out genuine entries and then recorded more expensive items such as liquids, dissolvable and dispersible tablets.
The prescriptions had originated from handwritten prescriptions issued by either hospital doctors at the nearby Royal Glamorgan Hospital or community dental practitioners. There were no issues with the medication provided to the patients and they were always issued with the correct medication that had been prescribed.
The NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA) Forensic Computing Unit (FCU) assisted the investigation by obtaining a forensic image of Talbot Pharmacy’s computer systems. NHS CFS Wales also worked closely with the Pharmacy Team at CTMUHB, who assisted by helping to identify the prescriptions which were falsely claimed.
NHS CFS Wales analysed the prescriptions against the Talbot Pharmacy’s computer systems. The analysis helped to prove that Lloyd had provided different medication than what had been claimed. NHS CFS Wales also obtained the packaging from several patients as evidence that the cheaper drugs had been provided.
Mark Weston NHS CFS Wales investigator said
“Pharmaceutical practitioners work in a key position of trust. The decision by the General Pharmaceutical Council to remove Michael Lloyd from their professional register reinforces the strong message that fraud against the NHS will not be tolerated. Michael Lloyd has had to repay all of the money he defrauded from NHS Wales, was imprisoned and has now lost his profession as a Pharmacist which demonstrates that Criminal, Civil and disciplinary sanctions will always be pursued when appropriate”.
The NHS Counter Fraud Service Wales (NHS CFS Wales) has a remit to identify and tackle economic crime including fraud, bribery and corruption in NHS Wales. NHS CFS Wales is part of NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (NWSSP). For further information on the work of NHS CFS Wales please visit the NWSSP website and click on the Counter Fraud Service tab.
Contact your Local Counter Fraud Specialist on 02921 836265 or send an email to
Contact NHS CFS Wales on 01495 334100 or send an email to
Click on the link to the NHS Fraud online reporting tool
Call the NHSCFA free phone line on 0800 028 40 60 (available 24 hours). All reports are treated in strict confidence, and you have the option to report your concerns anonymously.