A female physician has been sentenced to 30 days of conditional prison for abuse of her position, and she has been disqualified from practicing medicine for two years. The woman, who has appealed the ruling, was convicted on Wednesday by the District Court in Odense.

The case involves the 41-year-old doctor exploiting her access to medical systems to prescribe controlled medications in the name of her former partner. This medication, which included morphine and benzodiazepines, was picked up and consumed by her. Over a period from August 2020 to June 2021, she issued prescriptions for the medication 71 times, resulting in an unjustified healthcare subsidy of 7,899.15 Danish kroner (approximately $1,100 USD).

In court, the woman explained that she needed the medication due to illness, but claimed that she could not prescribe it in her own name. The prosecution argued for a sentence of 60 days in unconditional prison and a permanent revocation of her right to practice medicine, while the defense contended that a milder penalty in the form of daily fines would be appropriate, advocating for the retention of her medical license.

A recent amendment to the Danish penal code, which allows for reduced sentences in cases of confession, played a role in determining the punishment. The court decided on a compromise between the prosecution’s and defense’s proposals, sentencing her to 30 days of conditional prison and a two-year ban on practicing medicine.

The conditional prison sentence means that the woman will avoid incarceration as long as she does not commit new offenses within a year. The High Court (Landsretten) will now consider the actual sentencing and the issue of revoking her medical license.