A chemist handed out the wrong prescriptions because she was too easily distracted by gossiping colleagues, a disciplinary hearing was told.

Baldev Flora, 50, gave one patient someone else's drugs, and handed out bottles of pills with the wrong label on.

A customer decided to keep a log book of the errors - and discovered that during one 12-week period, Flora gave her three mistaken prescriptions.

When inspectors for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) visited the Cottingley Pharmacy on The Parade, Airedale Avenue, they said Flora seemed overworked and needed a holiday.

And the patient who blew the whistle on her added: "The staff were chit-chatting and not concentrating on what they were doing - I'm not surprised I received the wrong medication."

Geoffrey Hudson, for the RPS, told the hearing: "On December 28, 2000, a regular drug addict patient was given the wrong dose of methadone.

"When questioned, Miss Flora said the patient had continually distracted her when she was dispensing drugs, and she had given him the wrong box."

The committee heard that a patient identified as 'DM' kept a log of mistakes.

Within the space of three months she had been given three prescriptions that either had the wrong label or a label with someone else's name on.

When Flora was interviewed by RPS inspectors, she admitted mistakes had been made.

Inspector David Slater told the hearing: "Since she bought the place (in 1995), Ms Flora had only taken two or three weeks' holiday, and I believe she was in need of a break."

Giving evidence, Flora said: "The drug addict was particularly difficult. He wanted to speak to me all the time, and if he was high on drugs staff would be scared. I took pride that nothing should go wrong in my pharmacy - that there should be no errors - but this is not possible."

When asked if she was distracted by gossip, Flora replied: "When I am working, I do not allow myself to be distracted."

Flora accepted there were a number of errors, but denied they were a result of misconduct.

However, the committee ruled she was guilty of all the charges - and said she had been distracted by workers.

Flora was given an official reprimand.