Salma

Nature of Action: The Inquiry Committee of the College of Pharmacist of British Columbia (the “College”) conducted an investigation into the practice of Salma Sadrudin Damji (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.

Effective date: May 15, 2019

Name of registrant: Salma Sadrudin Damji

Location of Practice: Vancouver, BC

Admissions and Acknowledgements:

Between January 2013 and January 2018, using a prescription pad from a medical clinic, the Registrant falsified prescriptions using three patient names and two physician names. The falsified prescriptions resulted in over sixty-two transactions processed on PharmaNet. The medications for these transactions were all Schedule I drugs, which required authorized prescriptions.

The Registrant used the names and forged the signatures of two physicians as prescribers on these falsified prescriptions, all without the knowledge, consent or authorization of these physicians. The Registrant inappropriately used personal health information and created inaccurate PharmaNet records for the involved patients. By doing so, the Registrant placed the three patients whose name she used at risk of harm, in case their PharmaNet records ever needed to be accessed for legitimate reasons.

Disposition:

The Registrant entered into a Consent Agreement with the College’s Inquiry Committee, wherein the Registrant consented to terms that include (but not limited to) the following:

1. To suspend her registration as a pharmacist for a total of 90 days (May 22, 2019 to August 20, 2019);

2. To not be pharmacy manager, director, and/or owner of a pharmacy, shareholder in a corporation that owns a pharmacy, and a preceptor for pharmacy students for a period of three years (August 21, 2019 to August 20, 2022);
    

3. To write apology letters to persons affected by her conduct;

4. To complete and successfully pass an ethics course for healthcare professionals; and

5. To pay a fine of $1,000.

Rationale:

The Inquiry Committee considered that in this case, in addition to the serious misconduct, the Registrant placed herself and others at significant risk of harm, inappropriately used personal information, and created inaccurate PharmaNet records. Her 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 her 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.