25-1-2025 (SINGAPORE) The Ministry of Health (MOH) has revoked the operating licence of a Bishan-based medical practice following repeated breaches in medication control protocols, particularly concerning the prescription of controlled substances including benzodiazepines.
Prudence Family Clinic, situated at Block 512 Bishan Street 13, has been barred from delivering healthcare services through all channels, including in-person consultations, home visits, and telemedicine platforms, the MOH announced yesterday.
The ministry’s investigation revealed multiple violations of the Healthcare Services Act, specifically regarding the clinic’s handling of prescriptions for controlled substances such as codeine-based cough preparations, benzodiazepines, and other sleep-inducing medications.
Among the serious infractions, the clinic failed to prevent its medical staff from simultaneously prescribing multiple types of benzodiazepines and hypnotic medications to individual patients. Furthermore, the practice neglected to follow mandatory protocols requiring specialist referrals for patients using these medications beyond an eight-week period.
These substances, which include benzodiazepines—known for their muscle-relaxing and seizure-preventing properties—and non-benzodiazepine hypnotics such as Zopiclone and Zolpidem, carry significant risks of dependency when not properly managed, according to official medical guidelines.
The investigation also uncovered substantial deficiencies in patient record-keeping related to these controlled substances. “The repeated violations within a twelve-month period highlight a fundamental breakdown in operational oversight and regulatory compliance,” a MOH spokesperson stated.
As a consequence of the licence revocation, the clinic will be immediately removed from all government healthcare initiatives, including the Healthier SG programme and financial assistance schemes such as CHAS and MediSave.
In a related development, two physicians from the practice have been reported to the Health Sciences Authority for inappropriate prescribing practices and face potential disciplinary action from the Singapore Medical Council for breaching prescribing guidelines.
The clinic was served notice of the impending licence revocation on 20 December but did not contest the decision, according to ministry officials.
