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A Blackpool pharmacist who repeatedly stole controlled drugs including methadone and Oramorph from a Boots branch where she was acting as responsible pharmacist has been struck off.

Helen Louise Halliwell, who in February 2025 accepted a police caution for stealing methadone from her employer, was found to have removed the medications without authorisation or a valid prescriptions on three dates in May 2024.

She was also seen on CCTV on one of those dates drinking from a brown bottle containing a substance that a colleague believed to be medicine but which she maintains was Oramorph.

Her misconduct came to light when methadone reconciliations conducted on two dates shortly after her RP shifts identified slight discrepancies with the recorded amounts.

A Boots operation manager initially believed this was due to issues with pouring, but upon reviewing CCTV footage saw what appeared to be Ms Halliwell pouring out methadone and concealing bottles in her belongings, along with tablet boxes and blister packs. She was found to have removed several bottles and boxes of Oramorph as well as codeine and Co-Codamol.

The matter was reported to the police and the GPhC, as well as Boots’ controlled drugs accountable officer.

All allegations against Ms Halliwell were found proved by admission. One allegation, which concerned her drinking either Oramorph or methadone while working as RP, was found partially proved due to conflicting statements from local police as to what substance was found in bottles seized from her.

Ms Halliwell said her recollection of the events was blurred and she did not remember taking any medication, only realising she had done so when shown the CCTV footage in May 2026.

In a reflective statement, she said: “By failing to disclose my difficulties, I allowed my judgement to be influenced by factors that should have led me to seek help, I made very poor decisions that didn’t reflect my professional values or the basic principles of safe practice”.

She accepted that she had breached numerous professional standards and described the theft as “unacceptable… a complete breach of trust”.

Since these events, Ms Halliwell has attempted to remediate her conduct through privately financed and NHS counselling and therapy, commenting that she has managed to build up her self esteem and learn ways to cope with stress.

The FtP committee, which noted Ms Halliwell’s personal circumstances and the fact she had had no intention of profiting financially from the theft of CDs, “regrettably” concluded it was necessary to strike her from the register to show “how seriously the regulator views the registrant’s dishonest misconduct”.

Related: Antrim pharmacist struck off after stealing 25,000 diazepam tablets

Convicted pharmacy technician who took cocaine struck off