The pharmacist responsible for dispensing diamorphine to serial killer GP Harold Shipman has been cleared of wrongdoing by the profession's disciplinary committee, it was announced today.

Ghislaine Brant faced the prospect of being struck off by the statutory committee, the disciplinary board of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB), after facing seven disciplinary charges following her failure to notice that Shipman was requesting drugs for dead patients.

Entries in the pharmacy's controlled drugs register showed that Ms Brant, manager of the pharmacy used by Shipman, dispensed diamorphine to the family doctor for prescriptions he had made out for patients who were already dead.

The six-strong committee was told there had been "serious lapses" by Ms Brant after she failed to spot unusual prescription patterns, including Shipman's request for excessive and potentially lethal doses of diamorphine on 13 or 14 occasions between February 22 and August 27 1993.

The amount prescribed is a "most unusual amount of diamorphine", the society's solicitor alleged to the committee, adding that the level would be lethal for someone unused to the drug.

Ms Brant stood accused of failing to exercise professional judgment and/or the objectivity of a reasonably careful and competent pharmacist.

But the RPSGB today confirmed that Ms Brant had no case to answer.

In delivering his judgment, Lord Fraser of Carmyllie QC, chairman of the statutory committee, said: "There was a serious professional issue to be explored. That has been done but our conclusion on the evidence is that there is no case to answer."