Unlicensed on so many fronts: Pharmacist hit with $12K in fine and costs

A Winnipeg pharmacist who operated an unlicensed pharmacy and illegally compounded and sold cannabis purchased from an unauthorized source has been ordered to pay $12,000 in fine and college costs. Judy Lee-Wing was found guilty of eight offences that also included promoting cannabis products through a website she owned, failing to keep a record of her compounding activities, dispensing a cannabis-based drug without a valid prescription and failing to obtain the appropriate liability insurance for a practising pharmacist. The college imposed a $4,500 fine and ordered her to pay $7,500 in investigation and hearing costs. Lee-Wing is also prohibited from acting as a pharmacy manager or preceptor for five years starting from Feb. 11, 2021. In arriving at its decision, the discipline committee of the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba took into account Lee-Wing’s admission of guilt “which alleviated what would have been a lengthy and complicated hearing” as well as the absence of any prior history of discipline. “The panel . . . is satisfied that this disposition should serve to act as a deterrent to her and in general, while at the same time ensuring that the public interests are protected and the public’s confidence is maintained,” the committee wrote in its decision document. Read: Cancer patients aren't getting quality info from cannabis dispensaries In 2019, Lee-Wing—who has been registered since 1991 as a Manitoba pharmacist—started offering “pharmacist consultant” and compounding services at a site that did not have a licence to operate as a pharmacy, according to the decision document. The activities she carried out at the site included consulting with patients on the use of cannabis, dispensing cannabis products, providing information regarding prescription drugs, modifying certain patients’ over-the-counter drug therapy, and medication reviews. Lee-Wing had initially refused a college investigator’s request to identify her cannabis supplier but later revealed it was Okanagan CBD. A representative from the company told the investigator it was not a federally licensed or provincially authorized cannabis supplier. Lee-Wing admitted she was selling cannabis for topical and oral use even though neither she nor her online business was licensed to sell cannabis. Read: No budtenders here: How Insalata Cannabis is building its business on pharmacists' recommendations Records obtained by the college from a local medical clinic showed Lee-Wing had also dispensed cannabis to 133 patients who did not have prescriptions for medical cannabis. Read: Wholehealth’s 100th store is a first in Canada!

Unlicensed on so many fronts: Pharmacist hit with $12K in fine and costs

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