Revoke druggist's licence, college told

From the Toronto Star:
Two members of a professional review panel felt disgraced Hamilton pharmacist Abadir Nasr should never be allowed to dispense drugs again, feeling he's beyond rehabilitation.

They didn't agree with the majority of their colleagues on an Ontario College of Pharmacists five-member disciplinary committee. The committee ruled last month that Nasr, 30, could get his licence back after a one-year suspension as long as he underwent a public reprimand, paid $12,500 in costs to the college and took remedial training.

Yesterday, the college released the reasons for its decision.

Nasr had pleaded guilty to a series of professional misconduct charges in connection with his practices at the King West Pharmacy on King Street West, which resulted in a number of criminal charges against him in 2005. He was acquitted on all the charges this year, including allegations he dispensed fake heart medication to dozens of unsuspecting patients. ...more

Discipline Case : Abadir Nasr

I haven't seen any related news articles to post yet, so I thought I'd put up the link to the Abadir Nasr verdict from the Ontario College of Pharmacists. We've been following this story for a long time, and I expect that this will finally close the book on it. As I suspected, the college was a lot more harsh than the legal system. In the court, Nasr could blame lack of criminal intent and ignorance. However, the pharmacy board was looking for standards regarding public safety, unprofessional conduct, and the lack of following regulations. These are a lot easier to prove.

From the Ontario College of Pharmacists website:
The member was found guilty of professional misconduct as a dispensing pharmacist, designated manager as well as the owner of King West Pharmacy, with respect to the purchase and dispensing of counterfeit and/or unapproved prescription medications, labeling errors, failure to keep records, failure to maintain patient confidentiality, misidentified or inadequately identified drugs, expired drugs, and narcotic discrepancies. With regard to his practice, a panel of the Discipline Committee found that he: ...more

Druggist will fight to keep his licence

It looks like Abadir Nasr wants to get his side of the story in the press. The Hamilton pharmacist, who sold fake Norvasc tablets but was acquitted of criminal charges, answered questions for the Hamilton Spectator today. I find it odd that he answered the questions in writing. Nasr claims he is not fluent in English. I thought pharmacists are required to be able to speak at least one of Canada's official languages. I believe most provinces have language tests that are requirements for licensure. However, I'm not sure specifically about Ontario.

There is no mention of a date for his disciplinary hearing with the Ontario College of Pharmacists. I suspect it will still be a while as the regulatory body will likely need time to gather all of the relevant information.

From the Hamilton Spectator:
The Hamilton pharmacist who was found not guilty of criminal fraud after selling counterfeit heart pills to the public says he never doubted his acquittal on all charges.

Abadir Nasr, 29, said he intends to fight for his licence and his right to own another drugstore when he goes before a future disciplinary hearing of the Ontario College of Pharmacists.

"As God knows, I never had the intent to harm anybody so I was completely sure that not guilty would be the (outcome) of this case," said Nasr. ...more