Scottish Superdrug pharmacist faces being struck off after touching breasts of woman who asked for morning after pill

The incident took place at the Superdrug in Overgate Shopping Centre, Dundee. Picture: Google Map

A disciplinary hearing was told Dinesh Soni stunned his female victim when he started touching her in a locked consultation room.

While the woman, who cannot be named, sat opposite him, it was heard he cupped her breasts and then reached up her dress.

The pharmacist, who was working in a Superdrug store at Overgate Shopping Centre, Dundee, at the time, claimed he was simply concerned about the chances of breast cancer.

However, a General Pharmaceutical Council disciplinary panel found Soni's actions in October 2017 were sexually motivated and ruled that he should be banned from practising.

Soni denies any wrongdoing and is appealing against the ruling and is allowed to practice while his appeal is considered.

The hearing, in Canary Wharf, London, was told the woman felt 'silly' for not stopping Soni touching her inappropriately, only making a complaint after speaking to her boyfriend about the incident.

A report of the victim's evidence said: "She described meeting ‘an older male’ Pharmacist, entering the consultation room.

"She recalled [Soni] mentioning risks of infertility and breast cancer after asking her about her current menstrual cycle and the regularity or otherwise of her periods.

"She described her feelings of alarm at the mention of infertility and breast cancer.

"Patient A went on to describe that [Soni] then mentioned the existence of glands at side of the breast and in her groin and said 'just let me feel your glands'.

"He placed his hands on either side of both her breasts with his fingers spread and thumb underneath the cup of her breast.

"[Soni] returned to the chair opposite her and then put his hands up her dress, one hand on either side of her groin and slowly moved his hands, feeling around for five to 10 seconds.

"[The woman] described feeling silly that she had not realised at the time of the consultation that what had happened was not normal."

Giving evidence himself, Soni told the hearing he had carried out more than 1,000 consultations with women wanting the pill since registering as a pharmacist in 1994.

He said he was concerned about the patient's health and his touching was not sexually motivated.

However, a three-person GPC panel found Soni, of Hounslow, west London, had put his 'interest in sexual gratification' above the needs of his patient and agreed he should be banned from working as a pharmacist.

They said: "The Committee considered that the public and other pharmacy and healthcare professionals, rightly, would be both shocked and appalled by [Soni's] behaviour.

"That there were two instances of touching, one following upon the other, having been emboldened by the lack of challenge after the first touching.

"This was an abuse of trust by a pharmacy professional, exploiting the imbalance of power in the situation to facilitate sexually motivated touching."