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A pharmacist who accessed the medical records of a patient with whom she had been in a relationship without permission has been warned by the General Pharmaceutical Council.

The regulator’s investigating committee issued a 12-month warning to Victoria Kym Thomas (registration number 5026916) after she accessed the records on August 3, 2020, without clinical justification or permission.

The committee heard Thomas was given a police caution for harassing the patient between September 15 and 24, 2020, “through repeated, unwanted contact”.

The committee said her behaviour which resulted in the caution “falls far below that of what is expected from pharmacy professionals and has the likelihood of impacting public confidence in the profession”.

The regulator also warned Thomas her unauthorised access of patient records for personal reasons breaches patient confidentiality and privacy which undermines public trust and confidence in the profession.

Urging her to “pay careful regard” to regulatory standards relating to confidentiality and information governance and compliance with NHS data protection principles, the committee said Thomas breached four standards.

Those covered professional judgement, behaving in a professional manner, maintaining patient confidentiality and privacy and demonstrating leadership.

“Any repetition of this or similar conduct will likely result in further regulatory intervention,” the committee said, insisting her warning will be published on the register for 12 months.