A Hearing Tribunal issued its written decision on the merits and sanctions regarding the conduct of a pharmacist who admitted to prescribing, dispensing, and billing approximately 30 compounds to two seniors, despite them never having been to the pharmacy or the pharmacist having any form of direct communication with them. Moreover, the pharmacist provided the compounds without their prior knowledge or consent, without conducting a patient-specific assessment, without collaborating with other relevant health professionals, and without counselling the seniors on the appropriate use of the medications. In addition, the pharmacist admitted some of the associated records contained inconsistent beyond-use dates for the compounds, inaccurate patient assessments, and inaccurate prescribing rationales.
The pharmacist’s actions were determined by the Hearing Tribunal to be acts of unprofessional conduct under the Health Professions Act and misconduct under the Pharmacy and Drug Act. In its decision, the Hearing Tribunal affirmed the necessity for patients to request, understand, and consent to all pharmacy services, prior to those services being provided. The Hearing Tribunal went on to outline that regulated members must consistently act ethically and with integrity in all their dealings with patients and those encountered in business dealings related to the practice of their profession and the operation of a pharmacy.
In this matter, the Tribunal imposed significant penalties, even though the pharmacist admitted his conduct, the pharmacist took responsibility for his actions, there had been no previous history of unprofessional conduct, and there was no demonstrated patient harm. The Tribunal ordered
- a three-month practice suspension, with one month to be served and two months held in abeyance for three years on the condition that Complaints Director does not direct an investigation into a new complaint involving similar conduct (The one-month practice suspension was served from December 1, 2025, to December 30, 2025);
- the pharmacist to complete and receive an unconditional pass of the Centre for Personalized Education for Professionals’ Probe Course on ethics within 12 months;
- a $5,000 fine;
- the pharmacist to complete ACP’s Practice Improvement Program;
- the pharmacist’s Additional Prescribing Authorization (APA) be revoked, with a prohibition on the pharmacist reapplying for APA for one year*;
- a prohibition on the pharmacist acting as a compounding supervisor for one year; and
- a payment of $15,000 towards the costs of the investigation and hearing.
*The pharmacist’s APA has been suspended on an interim basis since February 24, 2024, as a result of ACP’s investigation into this matter.
Rationale for the Tribunal’s decision is reflected in its following statements:
Pharmacists occupy a position of significant trust within the healthcare system. Their authority to prescribe and dispense medications carries with it a professional obligation to ensure that such activities are conducted safely, ethically, and in the best interests of the patient. Central to this obligation is the requirement that the pharmacist establish a legitimate pharmacist–patient relationship before exercising any prescribing or dispensing authority. Pharmacists must conduct an appropriate assessment to determine the appropriateness of the medication for the patient, obtain sufficient information from the patient to ensure safe and effective therapy, provide directions to patients on the safe and effective use of medications, and document the basis for prescribing or dispensing.
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Without any knowledge of the patient’s health condition, medical history, or potential contraindications, [the pharmacist] could not have made an informed professional judgment about the appropriateness or safety of the medication. Such conduct exposes the patient to significant risk of harm and undermines public confidence in the integrity of the pharmacy profession. It also contravenes the ethical principle that pharmacists must place the health and well-being of their patients above all other considerations.
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Third, by submitting claims to Alberta Blue Cross under the names of [the patient’s] without their knowledge or consent, [the pharmacist] engaged in conduct that was inconsistent with the honesty and integrity expected of a regulated professional. Such actions risk diminishing public confidence in the profession’s ethical standards and its stewardship of both patient care and public resources.
Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians – incorporate these lessons when providing pharmacy services:
- Review, understand, and comply with your professional obligations and specific requirements outlined in the ACP’s Code of Ethics and standards.
- Ensure that pharmacy services are only provided after a proper patient-pharmacist relationship has been established, and always with the informed consent of the patient.
- Understand that no compounds are exempt from the assessment, prescribing, compounding, and dispensing requirements set out in ACP’s standards just because one might perceive some compounds come with a lower risk of patient harm.
- Use health resources responsibly. Do not provide or bill for drugs, including compounds, that have no clinical value.
