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A pharmacist who was convicted of sexually assaulting a woman during a consultation in a pharmacy has today been jailed for two years and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Tauqeer Azam, 41, was handed the sentence at Glasgow Sheriff Court having carried out an inappropriate examination of a 19-year-old woman at a branch of Well Pharmacy in Nitshill in June 2023.

She had gone to the pharmacy to seek help for an intimate medical issue and Azam, who was the pharmacy manager at the time, asked her to show him a photograph of her problem.

He then carried out a physical examination without wearing rubber gloves, claiming there was a “supply issue”. He claimed she consented to the examination.

Azam was also convicted of making inappropriate remarks to another woman during an earlier examination.

According to The Scottish Sun, Sheriff Joan Kerr said Azam “abused the trust” of the two women and his “actions may erode public trust in using pharmacies first”.

“We are all encouraged to use a pharmacy as a first port of call for any health concerns. Your actions will have implications on people other than the victims,” the sheriff told Azam.

“Despite the glowing references people close to you have of you, I conclude that your offending was a significant breach of trust and only a custodial sentence is appropriate.”

Azam’s lawyer, who insisted he maintains his innocence, said: “He is aware the conviction for a man in his position brings disgrace not only on him but his profession, his family, which is why it makes it hard to bare.”

Azam had been given an interim suspension by a General Pharmaceutical Council fitness to practise committee in November last year.

The GPhC told Independent Community Pharmacist the suspension remains in place while the case is investigated before being considered at a principal hearing. However, the GPhC did not say when it will conclude its investigations.