A PERTH doctor has been banned after an investigation found he wrote 70,000 prescriptions over nine years so his patients could access steroids, human growth hormones and stimulants without any medical reason.
For some drugs, he was res*ponsible for up to 96 per cent of the state’s prescriptions.
Many of the patients were found to have a mental illness called body dysmorphia, which makes them think they need bigger muscles.
Mughammad Saliem Ismail even kept prescribing to pat*ients with gyaecomastia — male breast enlargement caused by steroid use.
This *included one patient who had a mastectomy.
The State Administrative Tribunal was told the prominent physician wrote the prescriptions despite concerns about side effects including *aggression, reduced fertility and liver damage.
On one occasion he faxed a patient a prescription “in res*ponse to emails from the pat*ient expressing his desire for those drugs on an urgent basis because he was distressed as a result of his loss of muscle mass”.
Dr Ismail was also found to have continued prescribing *anabolic steroids to a patient despite a therapist report warning the patient was *depressed and had been a suicide risk.
In another case, he prescribed steroids to a patient who told his therapist that his frightened girlfriend ended their relationship after he had become angry and started “yelling and throwing things”.
Other side effects he ign*ored included obstructive sleep apnoea and liver, kidney and heart problems.
Dr Ismail was this month stripped of his medical practitioner’s registration.
Mughammad Salie Ismail, banned for writing 70,000 prescriptions over nine years for steroids, human growth hormones and stimulants.
Yesterday, he declined to comment at his Dianella home, which is on the market for $830,000.
He was the medical director of Desana Whole Health. He was understood to have worked at other Perth clinics under the name Salim Ismail.
The SAT found between March 2005 and March 2014 Dr Ismail gave patients “mult*iple” prescriptions for anabolic androgenic steroids.
Dr Ismail also prescribed human growth hormone, the stimulants Clenbuterol and Ephedrine and the fertility drug Clomid.
Clenbuterol, Ephedrine and Clomid are all included on the World Anti-Doping Agency list of illegal doping agents in sports.
By law, Clomid can only be prescribed by a gynaecologist or obstetrician or with the *permission of the Health *Commissioner.
A related Health Department investigation found Dr Ismail had prescribed 96 per cent of Clenbuterol and 85 per cent of Ephedrine prescribed in WA during between Nov*ember 2008 and January 2009. He also prescribed 75 per cent of the steroid Oxandrolone.
The SAT found Dr Ismail continued to prescribe “large” quantities of these drugs “in circumstances where there was no proper therapeutic use” despite serious side effects being reported by patients.
Dr Ismail pleaded guilty to most of the allegations.
He was suspended on March 7 this year, but the Medical Board of Australia *alleges he continued to prescribe steroids until June 21. Dr Ismail denies that allegation.
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For some drugs, he was res*ponsible for up to 96 per cent of the state’s prescriptions.
Many of the patients were found to have a mental illness called body dysmorphia, which makes them think they need bigger muscles.
Mughammad Saliem Ismail even kept prescribing to pat*ients with gyaecomastia — male breast enlargement caused by steroid use.
This *included one patient who had a mastectomy.
The State Administrative Tribunal was told the prominent physician wrote the prescriptions despite concerns about side effects including *aggression, reduced fertility and liver damage.
On one occasion he faxed a patient a prescription “in res*ponse to emails from the pat*ient expressing his desire for those drugs on an urgent basis because he was distressed as a result of his loss of muscle mass”.
Dr Ismail was also found to have continued prescribing *anabolic steroids to a patient despite a therapist report warning the patient was *depressed and had been a suicide risk.
In another case, he prescribed steroids to a patient who told his therapist that his frightened girlfriend ended their relationship after he had become angry and started “yelling and throwing things”.
Other side effects he ign*ored included obstructive sleep apnoea and liver, kidney and heart problems.
Dr Ismail was this month stripped of his medical practitioner’s registration.
Mughammad Salie Ismail, banned for writing 70,000 prescriptions over nine years for steroids, human growth hormones and stimulants.
Yesterday, he declined to comment at his Dianella home, which is on the market for $830,000.
He was the medical director of Desana Whole Health. He was understood to have worked at other Perth clinics under the name Salim Ismail.
The SAT found between March 2005 and March 2014 Dr Ismail gave patients “mult*iple” prescriptions for anabolic androgenic steroids.
Dr Ismail also prescribed human growth hormone, the stimulants Clenbuterol and Ephedrine and the fertility drug Clomid.
Clenbuterol, Ephedrine and Clomid are all included on the World Anti-Doping Agency list of illegal doping agents in sports.
By law, Clomid can only be prescribed by a gynaecologist or obstetrician or with the *permission of the Health *Commissioner.
A related Health Department investigation found Dr Ismail had prescribed 96 per cent of Clenbuterol and 85 per cent of Ephedrine prescribed in WA during between Nov*ember 2008 and January 2009. He also prescribed 75 per cent of the steroid Oxandrolone.
The SAT found Dr Ismail continued to prescribe “large” quantities of these drugs “in circumstances where there was no proper therapeutic use” despite serious side effects being reported by patients.
Dr Ismail pleaded guilty to most of the allegations.
He was suspended on March 7 this year, but the Medical Board of Australia *alleges he continued to prescribe steroids until June 21. Dr Ismail denies that allegation.
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