Joshua

  1. Nature of Action: The Inquiry Committee of the College of Pharmacist of British Columbia (the “College”) conducted an investigation into the conduct of Joshua Bruce McPherson (the “Registrant”), pursuant to section 33(4) of the Health Professions Act (“HPA”), R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 183. The Inquiry Committee and the Registrant have agreed to resolve all matters arising from the investigation by way of a Consent Agreement under section 36(1) of the HPA.
     

  2. Effective date: March 20, 2023

  3. Name of registrant: Joshua Bruce McPherson

  4. Location of Practice: Trail, BC

  5. Admissions and Acknowledgements: 

    Between June 2022 and August 2022, while working as a pharmacist in a community pharmacy, the Registrant misappropriated a total of 1555 capsules/tablets and 1470 mL of liquid medication, for 21 different molecules of narcotic/controlled medications, all for personal use. These medications had not been prescribed for him. The Registrant also falsified computer inventory records for these 21 molecules.

  6. Disposition:

    The Registrant entered into a Consent Agreement with the College’s Inquiry Committee, wherein the Registrant consented to terms that took into account terms from previous consent agreements. The terms for this Consent Agreement include (but are not limited to) the following:

    1. To suspend his registration as a pharmacist for a total of 180 days;

    2. To not be pharmacy manager or preceptor for pharmacy students for a period of three years;

    3. In relation to narcotic and controlled drugs, to not place and receive orders, to not have signing authority relating to the ordering of such substances and to not conduct inventory counts and reconciliations for such substances for a period of five years;

    4. To complete and successfully pass an ethics course for healthcare professionals;
       
    5. To appear before the Inquiry Committee for a verbal reprimand; and
       
    6. To pay a fine of $1,000.00.
       

  7. Rationale:

    The Inquiry Committee considered that in this case, in addition to the serious misconduct, the Registrant created inaccurate computer inventory records and placed himself at significant risk of harm by taking unauthorized medication for his personal use. His actions were a serious contravention of standards in the Code of Ethics and compromised the public’s trust in the pharmacy profession as a whole.

    The Inquiry Committee therefore determined that the Registrant required serious remediation and deterrence regarding his conduct. After also considering significant mitigating factors, the Inquiry Committee considered the terms of the Consent Agreement appropriate to protect the public, as well as send a clear message of deterrence to the profession.

May 31, 2021

  1. Nature of Action: The Inquiry Committee of the College of Pharmacists of British Columbia (“CPBC”) conducted an investigation into the practice of Joshua Bruce McPherson (the “Registrant”), pursuant to section 33(4) of the Health Professions Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 183 (“HPA”).

    The Inquiry Committee and the Registrant have agreed to resolve all matters arising from the investigation by way of a Consent Agreement under section 36(1) of the Health Professions Act.

  2. Effective date: May 31, 2021

  3. Name of registrant: Joshua Bruce McPherson

  4. Location of Practice: Castlegar, Kamloops, Cranbrook

  5. Admissions and Acknowledgements: The Registrant has admitted and/or acknowledged the following:

    1. On January 23, 2020, a panel of the Inquiry Committee held a HPA section 35 proceeding to consider if an interim action was required during the investigation into the Registrant’s practice. At this proceeding and subsequent follow-up proceeding held on January 31, 2020, the Inquiry Committee determined that the Registrant would be:

      1. Restricted from acting as a pharmacy manager as of February 8, 2020.

      2. Prohibited from providing emergency supplies of narcotic, controlled or targeted drugs as well as zopiclone and zolpidem.

      3. Restricted from providing opioid agonist treatment (“OAT”) services as of February 1, 2020.

    2. Between February 10, 2020 and April 3, 2020, the Registrant continued to manage the day-to-day operations of a pharmacy, contrary to the limit imposed during the HPA section 35 proceeding

    3. From February 1, 2020 to March 24, 2020, the Registrant dispensed six (6) emergency supply narcotic, controlled, and/or targeted drug substance prescriptions, contrary to the limit imposed during the HPA section 35 proceeding.

    4. From December 1, 2020 to December 15, 2020, the Registrant processed and dispensed seventy-three (73) OAT prescriptions, contrary to the limit imposed during the HPA section 35 proceeding.

  6. Disposition:

    The Registrant entered into a Consent Agreement with the Inquiry Committee of CPBC, wherein the Registrant consented to the following terms (in part):

    1. To suspend his registration as a pharmacist for 90 consecutive days commencing within 90 days of him signing the Agreement from August 31, 2021 to November 30, 2021;

    2. To not be a pharmacy manager and preceptor for a period of two years from the date that he signs the Agreement (May 31, 2021 to May 30, 2023);

    3. To successfully complete and pass a substantive course on ethics especially designed for healthcare professionals;

    4. To appear before the Inquiry Committee to reflect on his conduct; and
       
    5. To have a Letter of Reprimand placed on his registration record.
       

  7. Rationale:

    The Inquiry Committee was concerned that the Registrant had been ordered to fully comply with imposed limits and conditions to protect the public and that he had not abided by the order in this current matter. The Inquiry Committee therefore considered the Registrant’s conduct to be serious, and that the Registrant required significant remediation and deterrence in order to come into compliance.

    The Inquiry Committee considered the terms of the Consent Agreement necessary to protect the public, as well as send a clear message of deterrence to the profession. 

December 14, 2020

  1. Nature of Action: The Inquiry Committee of the College of Pharmacists of British Columbia (“CPBC”) conducted an investigation into the practice of Joshua Bruce McPherson (the “Registrant”), pursuant to section 33(4) of the Health Professions Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 183.

    The Inquiry Committee and the Registrant have agreed to resolve all matters arising from the investigation by way of a Consent Agreement under section 36(1) of the Health Professions Act.

  2. Effective date: December 11, 2020

  3. Name of registrant: Joshua Bruce McPherson

  4. Location of Practice: Castlegar, BC

  5. Admissions and Acknowledgements: The Registrant has admitted and/or acknowledged the following:

    1. Between April 2016 and October 2019, the Registrant dispensed numerous opioid agonist treatment (“OAT”) emergency refill prescriptions contrary to Professional Practice Policy 31 – Emergency Supply for Continuity of Care (“PPP-31”) and Professional Practice Policy 66 – Opioid Agonist Treatment (“PPP-66”);

    2. On numerous occasions, the Registrant dispensed OAT contrary to the applicable legislation and policies by:

      1. Allowing non-pharmacist staff to release and witness OAT doses to patients;

      2. Not communicating with prescribers about patients’ missed OAT doses;

      3. Not ensuring that the pharmacist and patient acknowledged receipt of an OAT dose by signing a patient/prescription-specific log;

      4. Not ensuring that all OAT prescription records were filed systematically, or easily retrievable;

      5. Releasing OAT prescriptions to patients earlier than required;

      6. Dispensing OAT prescriptions to patients who had missed their doses, without referring them to their prescribers for an assessment and without decreasing their dose as recommended;

      7. Backdating several prescriptions, meaning that the dispensing records for those prescriptions were created on dates later than the dates on which the drugs were actually dispensed; and

      8. Not completing a final check on multiple OAT prescriptions dispensed.

    3. As pharmacy manager, the Registrant did not ensure: 

      1. The pharmacy had documented policies and procedures;

      2. All records required to be kept under the bylaws were readable, complete, filed systematically and maintained in a manner that was secure, auditable and allowed for easy retrieval; and

      3. Did not reconcile the pharmacy’s narcotics.

  6. Disposition:

    The Registrant entered into a Consent Agreement with the Inquiry Committee of CPBC, wherein the Registrant consented to the following terms (in part):

    1. To not be a pharmacy manager for a period of one year from December 15, 2020 to December 14, 2021;

    2. To not provide emergency prescription refills for narcotic, controlled, and targeted drug substances including zopiclone pursuant to PPP-31 for one year from November 12, 2020 to November 11, 2021;

    3. To be suspended from opioid agonist treatment dispensing privileges until the Registrant successfully completes:

      1. A thorough review of the legislative standards and policies;

      2. A decision-making and documentation course specific to healthcare professionals;

      3. A course specific to opioid agonist treatment for healthcare professionals; and

      4. A course on managing workflow in a pharmacy.

    4. To successfully pass the College’s Jurisprudence Exam. 

  7. Rationale:

    The Inquiry Committee considered that the Registrant’s opioid agonist treatment (“OAT”) practice was severely deficient. The Registrant’s OAT practice demonstrated a lack of knowledge and awareness of legislative requirements. This raised concern regarding the Registrant’s commitment to the pharmacy practice and his ethical responsibilities in ensuring that he maintained appropriate knowledge before providing a pharmaceutical service in order to ensure patient safety.

    The Inquiry Committee determined that the volume of practice deficiencies required a serious response to bring the Registrant’s practice into compliance with the standards of pharmacy practice and that the dispositions were warranted as it addressed the seriousness of the Registrant’s failure to adhere to principles and standards expected of registrants, especially when taking on roles such as pharmacy manager.

    The Inquiry Committee considered the terms of the Consent Agreement necessary to protect the public, as well as send a clear message of deterrence to the profession.

October 27, 2020

  1. Nature of Action: The Inquiry Committee of the College of Pharmacists of British Columbia (“College”) conducted an investigation into the practice of Joshua Bruce McPherson (the “Registrant”), pursuant to section 33(4) of the Health Professions Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 183.

    The Inquiry Committee and the Registrant have agreed to resolve all matters arising from the investigation by way of a Consent Agreement under section 36(1) of the Health Professions Act.

  2. Effective date: October 27, 2020

  3. Name of registrant: Joshua Bruce McPherson

  4. Location of Practice: Castlegar, BC

  5. Admissions and Acknowledgements: 

    The Registrant has admitted and/or acknowledged the following:

    1. As director of the pharmacy’s direct owner, the Registrant did not complete the “Pharmacy Closure Process” within the prescribed time frame, as instructed by the College’s Licensure Department. Specifically, the Registrant, as director, did not:

      1. Ensure patient continuity of care, by not transferring out the Pharmacy’s active prescriptions;

      2. Transfer the prescription records; and

      3. Return the pharmacy’s active inventory.
         

    2. The Registrant unlawfully operated the pharmacy (as described in section 7 of the Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act). The Registrant operated the pharmacy premise where drugs and devices were stored without being authorized by the College to do so.

  6. The Registrant's involvement and acknowledgments:

    The Registrant entered into a Consent Agreement with the Inquiry Committee, wherein the Registrant consented to the following terms: 

    1. To not act as director for a period of two years, commencing on October 27, 2020; and

    2. To have a Letter of Reprimand placed on his registration record for two years.

  7. Rationale:

    The Inquiry Committee considered that the Registrant’s malpractice caused a significant delay in patient continuity of care by not transferring out the pharmacy’s prescriptions in a timely and efficient manner. Furthermore, the Inquiry Committee considered that the Registrant stored Schedule I, II, and III drugs in an unlicensed pharmacy premise which ultimately is a public-safety risk.

    The Inquiry Committee considered that a limit restricting the Registrant’s ability to be a director was warranted in this case, as the Registrant did not comply with the College’s requirements in closing a pharmacy.

    The Inquiry Committee considered the terms of the Consent Agreement necessary to protect the public, as well as send a clear message of deterrence to the profession. 

January 31, 2020

(Dec 14, 2020 – section 35 limits/conditions removed with new section 36 (1) limits/conditions)

Nature of Action: Pursuant to section 35(1)(a) of the Health Professions Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 183 (“HPA”), effective January 31, 2020, the Inquiry Committee of the College of Pharmacists of British Columbia has made an order to impose limits and conditions on the pharmacy practice of the registrant Joshua Bruce McPherson (the “Registrant”) during the investigation into the Registrant’s practice.

In addition to restrictions placed on the Registrant’s practice on January 27, 2020 by the Inquiry Committee, the Registrant is restricted from acting as a pharmacy manager as of February 8, 2020.

The Inquiry Committee considered this action necessary to protect the public.

Note: Limits and conditions ordered by the Inquiry Committee under section 35(1)(a) of the HPA are made to protect the public during an investigation or pending a hearing of the Discipline Committee. Orders made under this section relate to matters which are and remain unproven unless admitted by a registrant or determined by the Discipline Committee.

January 27, 2020
(January 31, 2020 - Limits and conditions updated)

Nature of Action: Pursuant to section 35(1)(a) of the Health Professions Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 183 (“HPA”), effective January 27, 2020, the Inquiry Committee of the College of Pharmacists of British Columbia has made an order to impose limits and conditions on the pharmacy practice of the registrant Joshua Bruce McPherson (the “Registrant”) during the investigation into the Registrant’s practice.

The Registrant will be restricted from providing any Opioid Agonist Treatment services as of February 1, 2020.

The Registrant is restricted from providing emergency prescription refills on narcotic, controlled or targeted drugs as well as zopiclone and zolpidem.

The Inquiry Committee considered this action necessary to protect the public.

Reasons: While practicing as a pharmacist, it is alleged that the Registrant did not comply with the applicable legislation and standards of practice required in order to dispense Opioid Agonist Treatment. While practicing as a pharmacist, it is alleged that the Registrant provided emergency prescription refills without exercising appropriate clinical judgement and supporting documentation.

Note: Limits and conditions ordered by the Inquiry Committee under section 35(1)(a) of the HPA are made to protect the public during an investigation or pending a hearing of the Discipline Committee. Orders made under this section relate to matters which are and remain unproven unless admitted by a registrant or determined by the Discipline Committee.

Middle Name: 
Bruce
Last Name: 
McPherson
Date of Dispositions: 
Monday, March 20, 2023