New South Wales acts over alleged fake 'psychiatrist' Vitomir Zepenic

Report from the Daily Telegraph

He was deregistered as a trainee psychiatrist at a major Queensland hospital after his qualifications were found to be bogus.

Now Burwood psychologist Vitomir Zepenic is being prosecuted in NSW - for again allegedly pretending to be a psychiatrist.

Burwood Local Court was told yesterday that the Zepenic - who has never been registered as a medical practitioner in NSW - had been pretending he had medical qualifications.

Zepenic, 54, from the former Yugoslavia, allegedly signed six medico-legal reports to insurance company Allianz with the initials MBBS after his name - indicating he had a bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery.

While Zepenic claimed he had done a medical degree in Sarajevo, the court was presented a document from the University of Belgrade saying he had only completed a philosophy degree, had a masters in science degree in psychotherapy and was a doctor of philosophy.

To become a psychiatrist in Australia, one must have an undergraduate medical degree and complete several years of postgraduate medical training.

He also allegedly told a fellow psychologist that he had a masters degree in psychiatry, and accepted anti-depressant drug samples from a representative of a major pharmaceutical company, who thought he was a registered doctor.

However, the court was told it was medically qualified psychiatrists - and not psychologists - that were allowed to prescribe medication.

Zepinic is being prosecuted by the Medical Board of NSW for eight alleged breaches of the Medical Practitioners Act between 2005 and 2007 for allegedly falsely holding himself out to be a doctor.

The court was also told he was deregistered as a psychiatrist at Queensland's Toowoomba Hospital in 2002 following accusations he gave "materially false or misleading representations or declarations" to authorities.

Pfizer representative Suzanne Lombardo said she met Zepinic in 2005 and subsequently visited his Burwood clinic, where he had diplomas and certificates on his walls.

She said he accepted samples of two anti-depressants.

Zepenic yesterday insisted he had adequate medical qualifications and training but admitted he had never been registered as a doctor in NSW.

Asked to explain why he put the initials MBBS after his name, he said the initials represented his "academic titles".

"It is doctor of medicine, master of medicine and doctorate in medicine," he said.

The case was adjourned until April 14.