A disciplinary hearing begins today for the pharmacist who failed to spot serial killer Harold Shipman's unusually large prescriptions for diamorphine, the drug he used to kill his patients.

Ghislaine Brant faces a two-day hearing of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society statutory committee, which will determine whether she failed in her duties as a pharmacist by dispensing Shipman's prescriptions for the controlled drug.

The six-strong committee, chaired by Lord Fraser of Carmyllie, will consider Mrs Brant's behaviour on 13 or 14 occasions between February 22 and August 27 1993 when she dispensed large quantities of diamorphine.

Mrs Brant has already been censured by Dame Janet Smith in the Shipman inquiry's fourth report for failing to spot this period of abnormal activity.

Dame Janet said Mrs Brant had been "charmed" by Shipman, whose flattery meant that she "lost her professional objectivity" and had "plainly not applied her mind" when considering whether the dosage the doctor had requested was appropriate.

She regarded Shipman as a friend and "fell below the standard of a competent ... pharmacist", Dame Janet said.

Mrs Brant, who still works at the pharmacy and has the support of the owner, could be struck off the society's register, dependent on the outcome of the seven charges against her, which would mean she could not practise as a pharmacist.

The seven charges are: that she dispensed excessive doses of diamorphine against Shipman's prescriptions; failed to maintain appropriate stocks of lower-dosage diamorphine; failed to exercise sufficient scrutiny of prescriptions for excessive doses and failed to exercise sufficient control over diamorphine supplied.

The committee will also determine whether she failed to exercise the professional judgment and/or the objectivity of a reasonably careful and competent pharmacist; failed to act towards Shipman in a way that was to the benefit and welfare of the public and patients, and failed to discharge her obligations as a pharmacist to patients.

Shipman was imprisoned four years ago for killing 15 patients, but a public inquiry found that he had killed at least 250 patients over a 23 year period. He killed himself in Wakefield prison on January 13 last year.