Lawyers for Pharmacists, Pharmacies and Pharmacy Technicians

As trusted pharmacist lawyers, we have experience representing pharmacists, pharmacies and pharmacy technicians in Ontario in regulatory, litigation, clinical and risk issues, including those with the Ontario College of Pharmacists (the “OCP”), the Human Rights Tribunal and the Information and Privacy Commissioner. We help pharmacists navigate the legal landscape governing the practice of pharmacy in Ontario, including under the Pharmacy Act, the Drug Interchangeability and Dispensing Fee Act, the Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act, the Narcotics Safety and Awareness Act and the Ontario Drug Benefit Act.

If you have a complaint, investigation or disciplinary matter before the OCP, it is important to get legal advice from a pharmacist complaint lawyer or pharmacist discipline lawyer to evaluate your risk and help you manage your response. This is especially important because many forms of remediation ordered by the OCP remain on a pharmacist’s public register indefinitely. We are pharmacist defence lawyers who assist on all types of OCP matters, including clinical issues, billing issues, communication issues, recordkeeping issues and boundary violations.

We work with insurance companies covering Ontario pharmacists and also routinely represent pharmacists and pharmacy technicians directly who do not have coverage for regulatory matters. We typically offer our clients the choice of an hourly rate or flat fee for these regulatory matters, especially for pharmacist complaints. We represent pharmacists across the province of Ontario, including in Toronto and the GTA, Ottawa, Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Brampton, Barrie, Kingston and Thunder Bay.

Legal Services for Pharmacists, Pharmacies and Pharmacy Technicians

  • Responding on behalf of pharmacists to OCP patient complaints before the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (“ICRC”) of the OCP;

  • Facilitating proactive courses or Specific Continuing Education or Remediation Programs (“SCERP”) for pharmacists ordered by the OCP;

  • Responding for pharmacists to OCP section 75 investigations before the ICRC;

  • Responding to disciplinary matters and allegations of professional misconduct for pharmacists before the Discipline Committee of the OCP;

  • Responding to registration issues for pharmacists before the Registration Committee of the OCP or guiding pharmacists on their application for licensure in other provinces/countries;

  • Defending allegations for pharmacy students on testing irregularity and cheating made by the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada;

  • Responding to appeals and judicial reviews for pharmacists before the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board (“HPARB”), the Divisional Court of Ontario or the Court of Appeal for Ontario;

  • Responding to complaints made against pharmacists and pharmacies to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario regarding discrimination and human rights violations;

  • Responding to complaints against pharmacists and pharmacies before the Information and Privacy Commissioner;

  • Responding on behalf of pharmacists to OCP Fitness to Practice matters;

  • Assisting pharmacists in managing a challenging patient, including harassment and assault, and terminating the pharmacist-patient relationship;

  • Navigating clinical issues for pharmacists, including privacy breaches, pharmacist malpractice allegations, recordkeeping issues and patient demands;

  • Navigating billing issues for pharmacists, including insurance company inquiries and audits, as well as Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care audits under the Ontario Drug Benefit Plan;

  • Navigating compliance for pharmacists with OCP Practice Policies and Guidelines;

  • Assisting pharmacists in responding to the annual OCP report regarding past criminal and regulatory issues; and

  • Representing pharmacists and pharmacies in workplace investigations.

Need help with any of the above? We are pharmacist attorneys, so don’t hesitate to contact John McIntyre for a free consultation at john@mcintyre-szabo.com or through the website here.