Case against doctors in drug prescription court case drags on

A FATHER who took 49 doctors, pharmacists and the National Health Plan (Medscheme) to court on Friday succeeded in getting an application to have two crucial affidavits struck from the applicant’s particulars of claim postponed.

LorenzAngula Inc brought an application on behalf of 38 of the defendants to strike two crucial affidavits from Friedrich Schroeder’s papers. They set out how his daughter was issued with a schedule-five drug, Stilpane, by doctors and pharmacies.Counsels Susan Viviers and Essi Schimming-Chase were to appear for the defendants.Schroeder, appearing in person, said he wanted a postponement to May 16 to be represented by Denzil Potgieter instructed by an attorney from Cape Town.He cited as his reason that Potgieter was at present acting as a judge in the High Court in the Cape and could only be present on that date.Schroeder also claimed that the defendants had publicised and sensationalised the matter and that the Law Society had grossly breached its ethical code by publishing or allowing his confidential correspondence to be made public.For this reason he found it unacceptable that they were now applying to have material on the same facts struck off the record.He claims that his version is the correct one and that media reports had been distorted.Judge Louis Muller agreed to postpone the matter.Schroeder informed Justice Muller that he had just launched another application to add to the case a 50th doctor, who was allegedly still dispensing Stilpane to his daughter.They set out how his daughter was issued with a schedule-five drug, Stilpane, by doctors and pharmacies.Counsels Susan Viviers and Essi Schimming-Chase were to appear for the defendants.Schroeder, appearing in person, said he wanted a postponement to May 16 to be represented by Denzil Potgieter instructed by an attorney from Cape Town.He cited as his reason that Potgieter was at present acting as a judge in the High Court in the Cape and could only be present on that date.Schroeder also claimed that the defendants had publicised and sensationalised the matter and that the Law Society had grossly breached its ethical code by publishing or allowing his confidential correspondence to be made public.For this reason he found it unacceptable that they were now applying to have material on the same facts struck off the record.He claims that his version is the correct one and that media reports had been distorted.Judge Louis Muller agreed to postpone the matter.Schroeder informed Justice Muller that he had just launched another application to add to the case a 50th doctor, who was allegedly still dispensing Stilpane to his daughter.