'Pharmacist' lied about qualifications to hand out Class A drugs

A MAN lied to land a job as a pharmacist by pretending he passed his exams - before dispensing methadone to customers.

- AMY WALKER

Adnan Arshad, 29, worked at the Pearl Pharmacy in Rochdale between November 2017 and April 2019, during which he unlawfully dispensed the Class A drug.

In order to become a registered pharmacist, students must undergo training to obtain a Masters in Pharmacy degree, with 12 months of pre-registration training. They then must pass the GPHC examination, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

Arshad had been doing his pre-registration training at the pharmacy in Tweedale Street.

Arshad, from Rochdale, had already been working as a dispenser when the previous owner of the pharmacy applied for a training grant for him. The supervisor was responsible for overseeing his training and Arshad told him he had been going to extra training in summer 2018.