By Molly Magennis
A Yarraville pharmacist has lost the chance to continue practicing pending the outcome of a suspension review, after a tribunal found her behaviour as a health practitioner during the pandemic was “uncooperative” and that her views surrounding COVID vaccines were dangerous.
Maria Stogiannis’ applied to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) after a decision was made by the Pharmacy Board of Australia on March 1, 2022 to suspend her registration.
The decision was made on the basis that the board believed she “posed a serious risk” to the wider community around her, and that it was in the public interest for her registration to be suspended.
Ms Stogiannis applied to VCAT in order to keep practicing while awaiting the final hearing about her registration.
In a decision published on April 5, senior tribunal member Anna Dea refused Ms Stogiannis application to remain practicing as her theories regarding COVID-19 health measures “might, at best, be described as misguided and, at worst, as dangerous nonsense”.
“It was of considerable concern to me that a health practitioner would, without applying critical thought, rely on material apparently circulating on the internet as to the efficacy of vaccines developed to protect people from COVID-19,” Ms Dea said.
Ms Dea urged Ms Stogiannis to seek proper legal advice on the matter.
In a written submission made on March 2, Ms Stogiannis said the decision to suspend her registration was affecting the delivery of medication services to her elderly customers.
Submissions made by the board stated that Ms Stogiannis “already had adequate time to make alternative arrangements”.
“I noted that the pharmacy is located in an inner city area and so those patients ought to have been able to make alternative arrangements already,” Ms Dea said.
Ms Dea said documents presented to the tribunal by Ms Stogiannis suggested she did not intend to withdraw her claims about COVID vaccines.
“I considered that, if she maintained those views and continued to rely on the materials I have described above, her prospects of obtaining a different decision from the tribunal at a final hearing were exceedingly small,” she said.
