Nurse struck off after drug disciplinary case re-opened

A veterinary nurse who admitted injecting himself with a prescription-only medicine has been struck off the RCVS register.

A decision on the case of Robert Ryan Drummond was initially deferred by a disciplinary panel after he gave them assurances over his future conduct.

But the case was later re-opened after an employer who had previously described him as “exceptionally capable and dedicated” reported him for breaching those pledges.

Mr Drummond admitted all but one of the 10 allegations against him during the original disciplinary hearing into his case in October 2025.

Slumped in car

Newly published case documents reveal the panel heard he had taken Lidocaine and Alfaxan from an unnamed practice on separate occasions in August and September 2023.

He also admitted injecting himself with the Alfaxan in an incident in which he collapsed and hit his head.

But he denied injecting himself with the Lidocaine, despite two members of the public giving evidence that they had seen him using a needle and syringe while “slumped” in his car.

Although the committee was satisfied by their evidence, the charge of injecting the Lidocaine was found not proven because the contents of the needle were never tested.

But despite acknowledging it was an “unusual” approach in a case of that kind, the committee postponed a decision on sanctioning him for 18 months after he agreed undertakings including regular medical assessments, reports by his employer and no access to controlled drugs.

The papers said all staff in the practice were to be made aware of the latter arrangement.

However, in March of this year, the college was informed of an incident in which Mr Drummond admitted he had retrieved “a fresh bottle of Domitor” which he then handed to a vet who was with him.

No medical reports

Lawyers for the college argued that amounted to a breach of the undertaking that he would not have access to drugs, while the committee also heard no medical reports had been provided by the nominated clinician.

The report also stated that Mr Drummond had sought to remove himself from the register voluntarily two days after the drug incident, though the request was not processed due to the ongoing proceedings. Subsequent attempts to contact him did not receive a response.

The committee concluded removal from the register was “the only proportionate sanction” in his case because his absence from the resumed proceedings meant his future risk could not be assessed.

An anonymity order imposed at the original hearing was also lifted at the resumed hearing in June, though details of where the incidents occurred remain redacted in the report.