Alexandra SAETTA

In June and August 2024 Dr Saetta inappropriately prescribed a single dose of Ozempic 0.25mg to a patient without undertaking a consultation with the patient and without obtaining the patient’s weight measurement. This conduct does not meet with the standards required of a doctor. It risks bringing the profession into disrepute and it must not be repeated. The required standards are set out in Good medical practice and associated guidance, Good practice in proposing, prescribing, providing and managing medicines and devices. In this case, the following paragraphs of these guidance documents are particularly relevant: Good medical practice (GMP): 6 You must provide a good standard of practice and care. If you assess, diagnose, or treat patients, you must work in partnership with them to assess their needs and priorities. The investigation or treatment you propose, provide or arrange must be based on this assessment, and on your clinical judgement about the likely effectiveness of the treatment options. 7 In providing clinical care you must: a. adequately assess a patient’s condition(s), taking account of their history, including i. symptoms ii. relevant psychological, spiritual, social, economic, and cultural factors iii. the patient’s views, needs, and values b. carry out a physical examination where necessary c. […] d. propose, provide or prescribe drugs or treatment (including repeat prescriptions) only when you have adequate knowledge of the patient’s health and are satisfied that the drugs or treatment will meet their needs e. propose, provide or prescribe effective treatment based on the best available evidence f. follow our more detailed guidance on professional standards, Good practice in proposing, prescribing, providing and managing medicines and devices, if you prescribe g. […] h. […]

69 You must make sure that formal records of your work (including patients’ records) are clear, accurate, contemporaneous6 and legible. Good practice in proposing, prescribing, providing and managing medicines and devices: 19 You should only propose, prescribe or provide medicines treatments and devices if you have adequate knowledge of the patient’s health, and you are satisfied that the medicines serve the patient’s needs (see GMP paragraphs 6-7). You must consider: 1. the suitability of the mode of consultation you are using, for example face to face or remote, taking account of any need for physical examination or other assessments (see paragraphs 20 to 25) 2. whether you have sufficient information to prescribe safely, for example if you have access to the patient’s medical records and can verify relevant information (see 26 to 32) 3. whether you can establish two-way dialogue, make an adequate assessment of the patient’s needs and obtain consent (see paragraphs 33 to 37) 4. whether you can share information appropriately after an episode of care (see paragraphs 52 to 57). 21 Circumstances in which a face-to-face consultation may be more appropriate than a remote consultation include when: 1. [..] 2. you need to physically examine the patient 3. you are not the patient’s usual medical professional and they have not given you consent to share their information with their regular prescriber; this is particularly important if the treatment needs following up or monitoring, or if you are proposing or prescribing medicines where additional safeguards are needed (see paragraphs 58 to 65) 4. […] 5. […] Whilst this failing in itself is not so serious as to require any restriction on Dr Saetta’s registration, it is necessary in response to issue this formal warning. This warning will be published on the medical register in line with our publication and disclosure policy, which can be found at www.gmc-uk.org/disclosurepolicy.