ONE of the UK's leading online doctors faces a ban after the GMC found him guilty of prescribing large quantities of addictive drugs over the internet.

Dr Julian Eden, who set up e-med Private Medical Services, ordered 60 sedatives for a suicidal 16-year-old York patient, despite his history of self-harming and psychiatric care.

The teenager, referred to only as Patient A, overdosed on the drugs two months after being prescribed them.

A fitness-to-practise hearing heard the boy had a history of bullying and threatening staff at Lime Trees Adolescent Psychiatric Service, Shipton Road, York, when they refused to supply him with drugs.

The GMC found Dr Eden's actions in prescribing patient A and then issuing him with a repeat prescription were irresponsible and not in the best interests of the patient.

Dr Eden, whose surgery was in St John's Wood, London, also prescribed mother-of-three and an engineer with drugs over the internet until they were highly addicted.

Finding Dr Eden's fitness to practice was impaired, panel chairman Richard Kyle said: "The panel is very concerned with your apparently cavalier approach to prescribing in the cases of these patients."

Dafydd Enoch, for the GMC, told the panel yesterday that Dr Eden should be suspended from the register.

But Alan Jenkins QC, for Dr Eden, suggested the GMC end the case with no action against the doctor. Mr Jenkins said conditions could be placed on his practice so that he did not prescribe certain drugs from his website.