Former AFL doctor Richard Vucinic has again been banned from practising medicine after he was found to be illegally prescribing drugs of dependence before "his life spiralled".
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The ex-Western Bulldogs doctor became involved in crimes including illicit drug-taking and theft of mail, credit cards and cash after his professional misconduct was discovered, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) found.
![Dr Richard Vucinic leaves the Melbourne Magistrates Court in Melbourne on June 6, 2014 (left) and in a picture on Instagram. Pictures AAP Image/Julian Smith/Instagram Dr Richard Vucinic leaves the Melbourne Magistrates Court in Melbourne on June 6, 2014 (left) and in a picture on Instagram. Pictures AAP Image/Julian Smith/Instagram](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/194363481/4700cebb-747d-4d2c-9946-db51d3779fcf.png/r0_0_1600_900_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
On July 16 VCAT disqualified him from applying for registration as a health practitioner for two years and six months.
He had been disqualified for three years after a ruling from VCAT in 2020 over professional misconduct.
VCAT said "such blatant and grave departures from expected conduct" were "inconsistent with Dr Vucinic being a fit and proper person to hold registration as a medical practitioner".
Falsified prescriptions
Dr Vucinic was convicted of 25 offences "from multiple separate police investigations...related to conduct occurring on a number of separate occasions", VCAT said.
These offences included possessing methamphetamine and heroin, stealing mail, receiving stolen goods, using stolen credit cards, dealing with a stolen e-bike and stealing small amounts of cash.
He was convicted in mid-2022 of prescribing anabolic steroids and benzodiazepines to 13 patients while he was barred from doing so in 2015.
In 2015 Dr Vucinic "variously and deliberately" engaged in a pattern of falsifying prescriptions, the Medical Board of Australia told VCAT.
He would issue prescriptions before deleting the digital copy and claiming there was a printer malfunction in efforts to conceal his actions, the board said.
"On multiple occasions in patient notes Dr Vucinic indicated that 'Dr HZ' was 'happy for [him] to issue the script' as though Dr Vucinic had sought permission from a supervising doctor," the tribunal heard.
"Dr Vucinic also used the name of Dr Lewis, a peer, without permission, for the purpose of issuing prescriptions."
'Spiralled' into homelessness
The tribunal found that from 2015 "Dr Vucinic's life spiralled".
"He fell into a mode of living involving drugs and property crime. From June 2018 to July 2019, he was homeless," VCAT said.
Dr Vucinic told the tribunal that he wanted to "draw a line under the events of the last 10 years and rebuild his life".
He said he wanted to "recommence work at some time in the future, in some way which utilises his qualifications and experience" and "does not believe he is a danger to the community".
Dr Vucinic would be eligible to reapply for registration in January 2027.
Help is available:
- For free and confidential advice about alcohol and other drug treatment services call the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015.
- Access free 24/7 drug and alcohol counselling online at counsellingonline.org.au.
- For information about drug and alcohol addiction treatment or support, go to turningpoint.org.au.