The Ministry of Health ( MOH) has suspended Prudence Family Clinic ’s business license due to its inconsistent prescribing practices, including codeine cough syrups and sleeping pills.
The clinic’s clinic at 512 Bishan Street 13 can no longer offer outpatient medical care, according to the ministry in a press release on Saturday ( Jan 25 ).
On December 20, 2024, MOH reported that it sent a notice to Prudence Family Clinic informing it of its intent to withdraw its license.  ,
According to MOH,” Prudence Family Clinic was given the opportunity to make representations in respect of the expected withdrawal, but they did not do so.”
The clinic’s violation of the terms of its license, particularly those that involved the prescription and supply of morphine cough medicines, benzodiazepines, and another hypnotics on several occasions, was discovered by MOH.
Benzodiazepines are frequently prescribed to control seizures, stress, and other nerve system-related conditions, while drugs are commonly known as sleeping medications.
MOH claimed Prudence Family Clinic erred in keeping the health information of the patients who had been prescribed benzodiazepines, morphine cough syrups, and another hypnotics.
Additionally, the center did not make sure its doctors provided cough tinctures within the prescribed limitations or make certain they didn’t, at the same time, avoid concurrent prescription two or more benzodiazepines or other hypnotics to patients.
Additionally, its doctors failed to refer patients to the correct specialists for more care if they needed or were given benzodiazepines or other hypnotics for more than eight weeks.
The various violations of Prudence Family Clinic’s terms of service over the course of less than a month demonstrate a lack of efficient internal controls, management, and monitoring, according to MOH.
According to MOH, in light of these, Prudence Family Clinic is no longer able to offer outpatient medical care in a manner that is both morally sound and scientifically safe.
” Correspondingly, all its related accreditations and/or participation in Healthier SG, as well as MOH’s financial methods, including Community Health Assist Scheme and MediSave, will cease”.
The Health Sciences Authority is currently looking into the practices of two training doctors at the office who are involved in the prescribing procedures.
They will also get referred to the Singapore Medical Council for inquiries into possible moral code and instructions vulnerabilities.
MOH has also requested that the doctor, whose license was revoked on Friday, to remind all impacted patients to ensure consistency of attention.
” Affected individuals may wish to visit various local CHAS-accredited, MediSave-accredited or Healthier SG facilities instead”, the department added.
MOH stated that it will continue to monitor licensed companies of outpatient health services who place for prescriptions to make sure that consultations are conducted in accordance with current regulatory standards.