FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Vancouver, June 26, 2024 – Effective June 28, 2024, Health Hub Pharmacy, located at 5848 Fraser Street in Vancouver, will be unable to operate, and its manager Sukhpreet Singh Sidhu will not be permitted to practice pharmacy in BC, pending completion of an investigation. Suspensions of the pharmacy’s operating licence and the manager’s pharmacist registration have been ordered by a panel of the College of Pharmacists of British Columbia’s (CPBC) Inquiry Committee under section 35 of the Health Professions Act and section 20 of the Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act in order to protect the public during the investigation and pending any subsequent hearing of the CPBC Discipline Committee.
CPBC received reports from Health Canada indicating Health Hub Pharmacy’s non-compliance with federal legislation after Health Canada conducted inspections at the pharmacy. CPBC also received information from the Vancouver Police Department regarding traffic stops of the pharmacy’s delivery vehicle, during which officers identified what appeared to be evidence of illegal activities and public safety risks. CPBC inspectors performed an onsite inspection of the pharmacy and identified multiple alleged breaches of legislation and practice standards involving unsecured narcotic drugs, improper narcotic prescription preparation, inappropriate narcotic drug dispensing, incomplete patient records, lack of patient consultations, non-compliance with opioid agonist treatment policies, and improper use of non-registrants in the delivery and administration of opioid agonist treatment drugs.
The complete public notification of these actions can be found here.
Suzanne Solven, Registrar and CEO of the College stressed the importance of these measures as part of CPBC’s mandate to protect the public. “We are responsible for making sure every pharmacy, pharmacist, and pharmacy technician in BC is providing the public with safe and ethical pharmacy care,” she said. “The allegations that are the reason for these suspensions are extremely serious and allowing the pharmacy to continue operating would pose a significant risk to patients, the pubic, and pharmacy staff."
In making its decision, the Inquiry Committee panel considered that manager Sukhpreet Singh Sidhu had been previously investigated for similar concerns at Health Hub Pharmacy in 2020, and had given undertakings to abide by legal requirements in the future. Given Sukhpreet Singh Sidhu’s repeated pattern of conduct and non-compliance, the Panel concluded that protection of the public could only be achieved through a suspension of their pharmacist registration and suspension of Health Hub Pharmacy’s licence while the investigation is completed and pending any subsequent hearing of the CPBC Discipline Committee that may be held.
Due to the need to protect individual privacy interests and the integrity and fairness of investigations and disciplinary proceedings, CPBC will not issue any further public comment about this investigation unless we become aware of any additional significant risk of harm to the public or a group of people that would justify disclosure.
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About the College of Pharmacists of British Columbia
The CPBC mandate is to protect the health and safety of the public by licensing and regulating pharmacists and pharmacy technicians and the pharmacies where they practice. We are responsible for making sure every pharmacist and pharmacy technician in BC is fully qualified and able to provide the public with safe and ethical pharmacy care.
CPBC receives its authority from - and is responsible for administering - provincial pharmacy legislation.
Media contact:
College of Pharmacists of BC
Media Relations
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