What’s in a pharmacy name? A penalty if you get it wrong, one owner learns the hard way

A Quebec pharmacist who pleaded guilty to five infractions ranging from not affixing his name to his pharmacy, to inappropriate advertising, has been ordered to pay fines totalling $14,500 on top of the full costs of the hearing. Sami Soltan, owner of Pharmacie Sami Soltan in Mirabel, Que., has six months to pay the fines and costs—a payment period that fell short of the 10 months he had requested of the Ordre des pharmaciens du Québec’s disciplinary board, which ruled there was no proven need to delay payment. Read: Owner of Quebec town's one and only pharmacy pleads guilty to falsifying prescriptions and cocaine use Under section 25 of Quebec’s Pharmacy Act, pharmacists can practice their profession only under their own name or under the name of one or more partners. In 2018, Soltan opened his pharmacy under the name Pharmacie Cité Mirabel. According to the discipline board’s decision document, Soltan chose this name because he was just starting the practice and wanted to make it easy for customers to locate his new pharmacy. But Soltan brought up a second reason: he was afraid of prejudice because his own name is not of Quebec origin. When called out by the Ordre des pharmaciens du Québec, Soltan subsequently changed the name of his pharmacy to Sami Soltan Pharmacy. The discipline board also cited Soltan for misusing the regulatory body’s logo in his pharmacy’s advertising material—an infraction that Soltan blamed on the agency that created the ads. In addition, the board charged him with false or misleading advertising. Including a failure to indicate exceptions applying to a seniors’ discount. The board also accused Soltan of wrongdoing in relation to a draw for an orthopedic pillow and a promotional program that offered a “partner discount.” The board noted that Soltan had previously been made aware of the various provisions governing advertising in pharmacy, and that he had made a commitment to comply with these provisions but failed to do so. “At the time, the office of the trustee had chosen to trust (Soltan) to change his way of doing thing,” the board wrote in its decision document. “The commitment made by (Soltan) reflected the seriousness of the situation.” Read: JUDGEMENT: Pharmacists who got exclusive referrals from compassionate program should have known this was unfair

What’s in a pharmacy name? A penalty if you get it wrong, one owner learns the hard way

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