Toronto pharmacist ordered to write essay after patient nearly went without miscarriage-prevention medication

An Ontario pharmacist has been ordered to write a 500-word essay after a pregnant patient nearly went without medication prescribed to help prevent a miscarriage. On Sept.10, the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board upheld an Ontario College of Pharmacists decision against Rizwan Champsi, the designated manager of a Shoppers Drug Mart in Toronto. The college had ordered Champsi to complete a remediation program focused on patient communication and issued him an oral caution.According to the board’s filing, the case stems from a complaint by a patient who filled a prescription for Crinone gel at Champsi’s pharmacy in September 2023. Crinone is a progesterone gel, sometimes prescribed for specific high-risk patients to help prevent miscarriages. The patient was using it twice a day and told the college she risked a miscarriage if she went without it.According to the filing, the patient requested a refill through the Shoppers Drug Mart app on Oct. 4 and went to pick it up on Oct. 7.“The Respondent was informed that the medication was not in stock and to try again on Oct. 10, after the [Thanksgiving] long weekend,” the board’s decision reads.The filing shows the patient had already raised concerns about running out. When she picked up her first prescription in late September, she asked whether she could buy more than one box. She was told she could only get one at a time, but that “there was no need to be concerned since they would keep the medication in stock for her.”When she went to pick up the refill on Oct. 7, the patient learned the medication was out of stock, and told her to try again after the long weekend. She also told the college that she was “asked to move aside for the next client.”“She advised that she called every pharmacy that was still open and found one that had the medication,” the board’s decision reads. “Otherwise, she would’ve had to go without medication for the weekend and risk a miscarriage.”While the patient maintained that pharmacy staff had contacted several pharmacies without success and that she ultimately found the medication herself, Champsi disputed who ultimately found the medication. He told the college that a pharmacy assistant had called several pharmacies on Oct. 7 and located a supply before the patient transferred her prescription. The college committee could not determine which account was correct, but concluded that both the patient and pharmacy staff had searched for another supply option.Nonetheless, the committee took issue with how the pharmacy initially handled the situation, pointing out “that staff should have been more aware of the Respondent’s circumstances and should have addressed the issue without prompting from her.” The committee also found that the pharmacy’s initial response caused the patient “unnecessary stress,” saying Champsi and his staff “did not appear concerned,” concluding the situation was not appropriately managed.The case was not Champsi’s first communication-related matter before the college. Of seven previous decisions involving him, three involved communication issues, all in 2023. The committee said “change did not appear to have occurred” and found no indication that Champsi recognized a need to improve.In addition to an oral caution, Champsi must write a reflective essay of at least 500 words on how he plans to improve patient communication and care. College staff can follow up within 24 months to review the changes he has made.

Toronto pharmacist ordered to write essay after patient nearly went without miscarriage-prevention medication

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