B.C. pharmacist fined, suspended for dispensing narcotics without a prescription

A B.C. pharmacist has been fined and suspended after admitting to dispensing narcotics without a prescription. 

Dayton Cliff Sobol made the admission related to seven incidents between Sept. 2016 and Feb. 2017, according to the BC College of Pharmacists.

Three incidents involved the dispensing of schedule one drugs “without first obtaining a valid prescription or making a written record of a verbal authorization.”

This is the second time that Sobol has been reprimanded by the College for similar circumstances. 

While the consent order signed by Sobol and posted online this week lists him as practicing in Ashcroft, a previous citation by the College alleged the violations took place while he was employed as a locum pharmacist at the Prescription Health Studio in Kelowna.

Sobol was then manager of the Summerland Guardian Pharmacy until May 2020, when the allegations against him were made public and he was dismissed.

“This was the second instance where the registrant was found to have dispensed medication, including narcotics, without a written prescription,” said the College of Pharmacists of BC.

“The registrant previously provided an undertaking to the CPBC not to repeat the conduct and so these further violations were also in breach of that undertaking.”

The College said the prior history was held as a “significant aggravating factor” in the 2017 case.

The College’s first investigation into Sobol centred around his time at Paragon Pharmacies in Kelowna, after “pharmacy management deficiencies” were discovered by pharmacy ownership following Sobol’s departure in 2011.

The College’s ensuing investigation found issues with inventory management, dispensing medications without physician authorization, dispensing narcotics without proper prescriptions, failing to maintain records and sending unprofessional emails and texts.

To resolve the 2011 complaint, Sobool agreed to obtain additional training, review pharmacist policies, provide additional records to the College and consent to two random unannounced inspections within 12 months.

“The registrant’s conduct in this instance, coupled with the breach of a previous undertaking that pertained to that conduct, is consider significant professional misconduct… and justifies a serious penalty,” the College said, adding the penalty needs to serve “as a strong deterrent” and send “a clear message to both the profession and the public that the College does not tolerate this type of conduct.”

Sobol agreed to receive a written reprimand, be suspended for four weeks, pay the College $3,000 and review a series of laws regulating pharmacies.