The disciplinary hearing for the pharmacist who dispensed Dr Harold Shipman's prescriptions is likely to extend beyond the two days originally planned.

The six-strong statutory committee of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society spent much of the second day of the hearing listening to evidence from expert witness Robert Halsworth, who at the time of the alleged incidents was a community pharmacist in Cheshire.

He said that Harold Shipman's prescription patterns for diamorphine should have prompted pharmacist Ghislaine Brant to ask the doctor questions.

Offering his analysis on Shipman's dosage patterns, Mr Halsworth said: "It is neither one thing nor the other." The diamorphine doses were too high to treat acute heart pains, but not appropriate for palliative care.

"It could be used for palliative care as a constituent of a particular 24-hour dose but we would expect to see follow-on doses in greater quantities for subsequent days until the patient did die."

Asked what would have prompted him to ask questions of Shipman, he replied: "It is the pattern really . . . they are all consecutively one after the other. But it does not necessarily suggest misuse personally by him."

Ghislaine Brant has not yet given evidence herself, and the hearing is likely to continue on Thursday, a spokeswoman for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society said.

The committee accuses her of misconduct and she faces various charges, including failing to exercise the professional judgment expected of a competent pharmacist.