Gleichen, Alta., pharmacist fined $16K after allowing unregulated staff to hand out prescriptions
A pharmacist in a hamlet east of Calgary has been sanctioned by the Alberta College of Pharmacy (ACP) after she allowed unregulated staff members to fill and hand out prescriptions to customers.
The penalty comes after the ACP tribunal said Bernadette Galang admitted to unprofessional conduct at her business, the Medicine Shoppe #416, located in Gleichen, Alta.
The board says she has built a system where there were times when the pharmacy was open to the public on Fridays without having a pharmacist present and unregulated staff members were "performing pharmacy services and restricted activities."
The ACP says those included:
- Preparing prescriptions;
- Providing prepared prescriptions to patients;
- Accessing and disclosing health information;
- Creating and maintaining health records; and
- Securing drugs.
"The hearing tribunal found that through the pharmacist’s actions, the potential for patient harm was created, the integrity of the profession was undermined, and the public's trust in the profession was decreased," the ACP wrote in a statement.
"The hearing tribunal found the pharmacist’s conduct was unprofessional and, as a proprietor, she had engaged in misconduct."
It says while Galang admitted fault, the tribunal issued a $6,000 fine, along with an order to pay $10,000 toward the costs of investigation and hearing.
"Her conduct demonstrated a lack of judgment when she allowed the pharmacy to operate in breach of the requirements relating to pharmacies, by failing to employ the requisite number of staff with the training and qualifications to provide safe and effective pharmacy services," the ACP's statement continued.
"This was a lack of judgment because it could have put the public at risk due to the lack of appropriate supervision and pharmaceutical knowledge during the hours when a pharmacist was not present. In addition, there was a failure of supervision of the pharmacy’s unregulated employees, including the allowance of carrying out restricted activities, which demonstrated a clear lack of knowledge and/or judgment."
Galang's practice permit was also suspended for three months, with one month to be served between Jan. 19 and Feb. 18.
The remaining two months should be served after she has completed the ACP's licensee education program.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.