St. Gallen Former assistant doctor obtains medication with forged prescriptions - penalty order

A former assistant doctor at a clinic in eastern Switzerland obtained medication using forged prescriptions. He has now been convicted by summary penalty order for forgery and identity fraud.

A 38-year-old former assistant doctor at a clinic in eastern Switzerland has been sentenced by the public prosecutor's office in St. Gallen for multiple counts of forgery and identity fraud. According to the penalty order, which is available to "20 Minuten", the man had illegally obtained prescription medication over a long period of time.

The accused initially worked as a junior assistant and later as an assistant doctor in a clinic. At the beginning of March 2025, he issued a prescription on a stolen prescription pad for the first time without authorization and used it to obtain medication from a pharmacy in Zurich. After the clinic found out about this, he was dismissed without notice.

Despite his dismissal, the man continued his actions. He continued to obtain prescription medication - including benzodiazepines, sleeping pills, antidepressants and other psychotropic drugs - using both stolen prescription pads and illegally issued e-prescriptions with his still valid access data. In some cases, he also forged signatures of a hospital doctor.

According to the public prosecutor's office, the man acted in order to feed an existing drug addiction. Several pharmacies in the cantons of St. Gallen, Zurich and Basel-Stadt became suspicious and informed the clinic, whereupon the case was uncovered and criminal proceedings were initiated, reports "20 Minuten".

Conditional fine, fine and procedural costs

The man was sentenced to a conditional fine of 150 daily rates of CHF 130 each with a probation period of two years. In addition, he must pay a fine of CHF 4,800 and procedural costs of CHF 2,000. In total, the claim to the state treasury amounts to CHF 6,800. The penalty order is legally binding.