Psychiatrist accused of role in death of patient

As seen in the Courier Mail

A hearing has begun against a Rockhampton psychiatrist accused of involvement in a patient's death from a drug overdose.

Christopher John Alroe is accused of prescribing an excessive quantity of methadone for a patient with a history of drug abuse and mental illness without proper supervision.

A 2004 coronial inquest attributed the young man's 2003 death to an overdose four days after Alroe prescribed medication.

The Medical Board of Queensland referred the matter to the Health Practitioners Tribunal, where Alroe faces a charge of unsatisfactory professional conduct. The hearing will continue in May before Judge Debbie Richards.

The tribunal cancelled Alroe's medical licence for four years in May 2005 after he was found guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct for a sexual relationship with a nurse he had treated for a bipolar disorder.