Three pharmacists associated with Fort William Medical Pharmacy Inc. in Thunder Bay, Ontario, are under scrutiny amid serious allegations of professional misconduct. The Ontario College of Pharmacists (OCP) issued a notice that the pharmacy on Victoria Avenue was currently in receivership. This designation means the establishment has undergone acute financial distress. This status creates an environment for compromised care standards and operational integrity of the facility and its employees.
Fort William Medical Pharmacy Inc. is fighting serious allegations. They’re charged with forging signatures and billing patients for medication reviews that allegedly never occurred or were conducted improperly. The misconduct allegedly occurred from October 2021 to May 2023. On top of that, the pharmacy is accused of repeatedly dispensing prescriptions written without legitimate purpose and violating federal narcotic statutes.
Allegations Against the Pharmacists
The pharmacy central to this story is owned and operated by Alamgir (Alam) Hallan and his wife, Jamilah Hallan. Each of them is front and center as an employee on their OCP profiles. They have all since been subjected to professional misconduct hearings based on these allegations. Firm dates for these hearings have still not been set.
To date, this order has required the monitoring of his practice since April 1. This sends a strong signal that the regulatory agency is leading with purpose. They are trying to keep the public safe while trying to further investigate these allegations.
“Concerns listed by the OCP included an active, indefinite interim order including monitoring requirements was imposed on his practice April 1.” – OCP
In response to the allegations, Hallan has stated, “I acknowledge the allegations under review by the Ontario College of Pharmacists. My view is that they are unfounded and I will be disputing them.”
Details of Misconduct Allegations
Check out the OCP’s full story for a deeper, blow-by-blow analysis of the alleged misconduct. It claims that Hallan “falsified (or permitted, consented to or approved, expressly or by implication, the falsification of) records relating to MedsCheck services.” He is accused of fraudulently billing the Ontario Drug Benefit Program. These claims were for MedsCheck services that had not occurred or did not comply with the Ministry of Health’s compliance requirements.
Sahota and Luu are just as culpable in these allegations of abuse. The OCP noted that their supposed violations happened around the same time as those found against Hallan.
“The alleged misconduct by Sahota, Luu and Hallan is said to have happened roughly between October 2021 and May 2023,” said the OCP.
These charges and the government’s complaint against the pharmacy raise serious concerns about the pharmacy’s adherence to regulatory standards and the possible risk posed to patients.
Implications for Fort William Medical Pharmacy Inc.
Fort William Medical Pharmacy Inc. FWMPI is suffering operational challenges from its receivership posting. On top of that, the pharmacy is involved in Ontario’s MedsCheck program, one of the stronger programs out there that connect pharmacists with patients to improve their medication management. The drama will continue to hurt its reputation among this program and beyond, and undermine its day-to-day impacts.
Given the pharmacy’s sordid history including participating in allegedly illegal activities including misappropriating drugs, their presence and practices become all the more alarming. This reality underscores the immediate demand for increased regulatory enforcement of pharmacy practice. We need to make sure that these companies are doing this in a legal and ethical way.
