A doctor has been caught illegally selling abortion drugs in an undercover investigation by a national newspaper.
Dr Majeed Ridha sold misoprostol to a journalist who was requesting the drugs for a woman that the doctor had neither met nor medically assessed.
Since the revelations were brought to light by The Sunday Times Dr Ridha has claimed he sold the drugs to treat an ulcer.
Horrifying
Dominica Roberts, Chairman of ProLife Alliance, said: “It is too easy for people to purchase these tablets. It’s horrifying.”
In the investigation a reporter asked Dr Ridha if he would supply a drug to induce an abortion for a woman in the early stages of pregnancy.
The doctor agreed and then phoned a pharmacist he worked with in London.
No responsibility
Dr Majeed Ridha told the reporter: “I will give it [the pills] to you, no worries, but as I told you it’s a serious job. If I give it to you, I don’t want to hear anything. No responsibility.”
Explaining how the tablets should be used, he told the reporter: “Put two tablets under the cervix of the uterus inside the vagina”. He added “she will drop everything in two hours”.
He also warned of the dangers of women more than eight weeks pregnant taking misoprostol, saying it would “be killing the patient”.
Deny
Asked about his fee, Dr Ridha said he would need £250. He also sought to explain that he was not giving the drug for an abortion.
“It’s serious things and it’s used for gastric ulcer”, he said, commenting: “I’m giving it to you and that’s the position, assuming it is for ulcer”.
When confronted Dr Ridha denied arranging the supply of the pills. But later said: “I sold it to you for reason of ulcer rather than anything else.”
Investigate
Also challenged over his conduct, the pharmacist who had handed over the misoprostol said: “I just followed the doctor’s instructions.
“I took the medicines from his bag, not from the pharmacy. I thought they were an emergency supply and that he would provide a prescription later.”
Both the General Medical Council and the General Pharmaceutical Council said they would investigate.